iiifiiiili 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


A  FORWARD  STEP 


A  FORWARD  STEP 

FOR  THE  DEMOCRACY 
OF  TO-MORROW 


WILLIAM  THUM 


BOSTON,  MASS. 

die  (ZTteentietl)  Centttrp  Campanp 

1910 


COPYRIGHT,   1910,    BY   WILLIAM   THUM 
ALL   RIGHTS  RESERVED 


PREFACE 

This  is  a  book  for  common  people,  written  by  one 
of  their  own  number.  What  may  appear  to  be 
needless  repetition  of  ideas  in  the  book  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  many  of  the  articles  hinge  upon  the 
one  main  purpose  of  promoting  the  interests  of 
self-supporting  students.  The  articles  were  written 
under  the  following  convictions  :  — 

First,  that  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
the  average  man,  especially  the  laborer,  should  ap- 
preciate the  value  of  the  future  high  school. 

Second,  that  further  ethical,  political,  and  indus- 
trial progress  depends  more  upon  the  high  schools, 
greatly  increased  in  number  and  improved  in  effi- 
ciency, than  upon  any  other  one  thing. 

Third,  that  this  increase  in  size  and  improve- 
ment in  quality  depends  upon  there  being  provision 
made  to  supply  those  who  would  be  self-support- 
ing students  with  remunerative  and  wisely  selected 
work. 

Fourth,  that  the  church  could  strike  at  evil  in 
no  better  way  than  to  direct  its  main  eifort  toward 
furthering  the  interests  of  the  public  schools. 


1500233 


vi  PREFACE 

In  the  preparing  of  these  articles  for  publica- 
tion, I  wish  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to 
Miss  Ada  J.  Miller,  who  rendered  indispensable 
aid. 

William  Thum. 


CONTENTS 

Democracy,  the  High  School,  and  Self-Support- 

ING  Students 1 

Public  Works  High  Schools 7 

Manufacturing  Works  High  Schools  ...  77 
Suggestions    Relative    to    a    Public    Works 

Scholarship  Fund 89 

The  Heart-Mind  and  the  School       ....    95 

Questions  for  the  Universities 107 

Redeem  National  Resources  and  Help  the 

Schools 112 

A  Study  in  Kinship:  Church  and  School  .    .  138 

The  Sunday  League 157 

National  Education  Party 209 

Social  System  —  Education  —  Race  Suicide  .  216 
One  Way   to   spend   Two   Millions  for  the 

Public  Good 219 

A  Fearless  Church  —  A  Better  Country  .  .  223 
Discussion 234 


DEMOCRACY,    THE    HIGH    SCHOOL, 
AND  SELF-SUPPORTING  STUDENTS 

The  main  object  of  every  nation  should  be  to  reach 
the  nearest  possible  approach  to  a  truly  democratic 
state.  Democracy  that  is  worthy  of  the  name  can- 
not be  possible  until  a  great  majority  of  the  citi- 
zens possess  both  a  good  general  education,  and  a 
special  education  in  some  economic  field.  We  here 
include  the  professions  and  arts  in  economic  activ- 
ity. A  good  general  education  will  tend  to  equal- 
ize us  socially,  and  a  nearer  approach  to  social 
democracy  will  result.  A  well-diffused  economic 
education  wiU  tend  toward  an  equalization  of  our 
earning  capacities,  and  to  the  extent  of  the  equal- 
ization effected,  it  will  develop  economic  demo- 
cracy. 

In  order  to  build  this  form  of  democracy,  it  is 
of  great  value  that  economic  education  be  im- 
proved, and  that  it  be  more  generally  distributed ; 
but  it  must  be  accompanied  by  a  much  better 
distribution  of  general  education.  This  combined 
economic  and  general  education  must  be  of  such  a 
degree  and  so  well  distributed  as  to  lead  the  citi- 


2       SELF-SUPPORTING  STUDENTS 

zen  to  the  polls  in  the  interest  of  laws  that  will 
result  in  economic  justice.  By  economic  justice  we 
mean  a  state  in  which  no  man,  through  the  mere 
power  of  wealth,  can  take  artificial  advantage  of 
men  who  possess  less  wealth  or  a  keener  moral 
sense.  We  cannot  approximate  social  democracy 
until  all  citizens  have  an  equal  opportunity  to  ob- 
tain a  general  secondary  and  higher  education.  But 
all  cannot  have  such  equal  opportunity  until  eco- 
nomic methods  and  customs  no  longer  give  to  some 
persons  an  unearned  advantage. 

As  just  stated,  we  must  have  a  higher  popular 
education,  both  general  and  economic,  in  order  to 
make  laws  that  put  an  end  to  much  of  this  undue 
advantage ;  but  as  the  undue  advantage  retards 
the  needed  advance  in  popular  education,  progress 
is  unavoidably  slow.  We  can,  however,  safely  hope 
that  the  retarded  education  will  be  all  the  better 
for  the  struggle  required.  This  slow  progress  may 
be  the  only  safe  way  for  the  present,  but  no  oppor- 
tunity to  further  education  should  pass  unim- 
proved. 

True  national  democracy  must  always  tend  to- 
ward both  economic  and  social  democracy.  In  so- 
cial democracy  we  include  both  intellectual  and 
moral  democracy.  As  long  as  educated  persons  are 
relatively  few,  they  will  take  little  interest  in  poli- 


SELF-SUPPORTING  STUDENTS       3 

tics ;  but  as  their  relative  numbers  increase,  their 
interest  in  politics  will  increase.  When  they  are  in 
the  majority,  politics  will  become  the  most  import- 
ant subject  of  their  thought  and  action.  Thus  poli- 
tics will  be  purified  and  democracy  will  be  fur- 
thered. Again :  as  long  as  secondary  and  higher 
education  is  monopolized  by  relatively  few,  these 
few,  with  some  exceptions,  will  take  undue  advan- 
tage of  the  less  enlightened.  In  many  cases  this 
advantage  is  taken  unwittingly,  because  even  higher 
education  in  politics  and  economics  is  as  yet  crude. 
Under  these  conditions  an  approximation  to  true 
democracy  is  out  of  the  question. 

It  is  the  duty  of  every  man  who  has  the  ability 
to  learn,  to  obtain  a  good  general  education  and 
an  economic  education.  It  is  his  further  duty  as 
a  citizen  to  aid  in  the  spread  of  secondary  edu- 
cation. The  majority  of  those  who  have  the  means 
to  pay  the  expense  of  obtaining  such  education,  or 
who  have  friends  to  pay  these  expenses  for  them, 
no  doubt  attend  secondary  schools.  We  therefore 
depend  principally  on  the  self-supporting  youth  to 
increase  the  number  of  earnest  students  in  these 
schools.  The  number  who  systematically  and  liber- 
ally educate  themselves  at  home  is  too  small  to 
take  into  account.  The  man  who  has  not  in  one 
way  or  another   obtained   a   thorough   secondary 


4       SELF-SUPPORTING   STUDENTS 

education  is  usually  far  from  his  best  in  citizen- 
ship. 

Uncomplimentary  things  are  often  said  about 
some  high  schools  and  about  some  of  the  students, 
and  at  times  with  good  reason.  This  adverse  criti- 
cism is  due  to  the  fact  that  too  large  a  proportion 
of  high-school  students  regard  the  school  merely  as 
a  means  of  making  one  proficient  in  the  "game 
of  grab,"  or  in  the  "  society  habit."  Nevertheless, 
without  high  schools  improved  by  time  and  greatly 
increased  in  number,  our  advance  toward  true  de- 
mocracy will  be  so  slow  that  the  reactionary  element 
in  both  the  so-called  lower  and  higher  classes  of 
society  will  more  than  counteract  this  slow  advance, 
and  finally,  such  democracy  as  we  have  attained  will 
be  destroyed.  We  especially  mention  high  schools, 
as,  in  our  present  state  of  enlightenment,  they  are 
more  necessary  than  are  additional  universities.  If 
what  has  been  said  is  true,  the  high  school,  or  its 
equivalent,  and  the  self-supporting  student,  give  us 
our  greatest  hope  for  further  advance  toward  true 
democracy. 

The  following  plan  is  offered  as  a  suggestion  to 
any  boy  of  sixteen  or  eighteen  years  of  age,  who, 
in  order  to  do  his  duty  to  himself  and  to  his  country, 
is  eager  to  have  an  education  beyond  the  eighth 
grade,  who  is  dependent  on  his  own  resources,  and 


SELF-SUPPORTING   STUDENTS       5 

who  is  so  situated  as  to  make  the  following  under- 
taking feasible.  Let  him  find  a  willing  partner  in 
a  tried  friend,  and  let  them  together  seek  perma- 
nent employment  in  some  business,  as  one  boy,  one 
to  work  in  the  forenoon,  the  other  in  the  afternoon. 
After  demonstrating  their  ability  to  do  their  work 
to  the  satisfaction  of  their  employer,  let  them  apply 
to  some  well-equipped  high  school,  or  polytechnic 
school,  for  admission  in  half-day  sessions,  one  to 
attend  in  the  forenoon,  and  the  other  in  the  after- 
noon for  the  first  year,  with  the  reverse  order  of 
time  for  the  second  year.  In  this  manner,  each  will 
attend  a  year  of  morning  and  a  year  of  afternoon 
sessions,  and  in  the  two  years  will  have  obtained  a 
full  year  of  schooling.  When  over  school  age,  the 
boys  will  be  required  to  pay  approximately  their 
share  of  the  operating  expenses  of  the  school.  This 
requirement  should  not  be  regarded  as  an  obstacle, 
as  it  will  amount  to  only  about  thirty  dollars  a  year 
for  a  half-time  student.  It  may  often  be  advisable 
that  these  boys  room  together.  By  this  plan  each 
will  keep  better  informed  regarding  the  work  done 
by  the  other,  and  the  two  can  better  fill  the  place 
of  a  single  employee.  Two  boys  living  at  home  may 
still  live  together  by  staying  first  at  the  home  of 
one,  then  at  the  home  of  the  other,  alternating  per- 
haps every  month.  If  economy  is  practiced  in  every 


6       SELF-SUPPORTING  STUDENTS 

direction,  wages  of  six  dollars  a  week  for  the  half- 
time  of  each  student  will  pay  all  living  and  school 
expenses. '  School  men  believe  that  most  young  men 
could  easily  graduate  after  six  years  of  this  half- 
time  attendance.  By  this  plan  the  school  education 
would  be  more  slowly  and  more  thoroughly  assimi- 
lated, and  would  thus  gain  in  value.  Employers 
often  advance  their  best  interests  by  giving  em- 
ployment to  well-chosen,  self-supporting  students. 

1  See  note  on  page  234  for  discassion  of  these  wages. 


PUBLIC  WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS.* 

In  order  to  create  a  desire  to  attend  high  school, 
all  children,  while  in  the  elementary  grades,  should 
be  gradually  and  persistently  taught  the  many  and 
priceless  advantages  of  a  thorough  high-school  train- 
ing. One  period  a  week  for  one  term  in  the  eighth 
grade  might  be  given  to  lessons  on  the  advantages 
to  be  derived  from  an  earnest  high-school  education. 
These  lessons  should  be  so  clearly  fixed  in  the  mind 
as  to  create  a  desire  to  learn,  and  should  show  that 
efficiency  in  some  activity  for  self-support,  a  know- 
ledge of  the  foundations  of  literature,  science,  music, 
and  art  are  essential  to  a  happy  life ;  they  should 
show  that  steadily  increasing  knowledge  is  one  of 
the  necessities  of  our  modern  life,  and  that  a  high- 
school  training  is  virtually  indispensable  as  a  means 
toward  these  ends.^ 

^  With  the  exception  of  slight  changes,  this  article  is  a  reprint 
of  an  article  published  in  The  Arena  for  December,  1907.  Objec- 
tions that  were  made  to  the  plan  before  its  first  publication  are 
discnssed,  and  this  fact  accounts  for  the  otherwise  unnecessary 
length  of  the  paper. 

2  The  question  at  once  arises,  how  can  the  eighth-grade  student 
be  taught  this  desirable  knowledge,  and  what  shall  constitute 


8    PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

In  order  that  our  young  men  may  obtain  the  full 
benefit  of  high-school  training,  it  is  necessary  that 
every  one  of  them  who  is  physically  able  should 
earn  and  pay  his  own  expenses  after  arriving  at  the 
age  of  sixteen.  He  should  earn  not  only  his  personal 
expenses,  but  eventually  his  share  of  the  running 
expenses  of  the  school.  Not  only  sons  of  parents 
who  cannot  afford  to  send  their  children  to  high 
school,  but  all  other  young  men  of  sixteen  or  over, 
would  be  benefited  by  earning  their  own  education. 
When  conditions  make  it  possible,  this  applies  also 
to  young  women. 

It  is  well  known  that  young  men  who,  either 
from  necessity  or  from  choice,  work  their  way 
through  high  school  or  college  stand,  almost  with- 
out exception,  far  above  the  average.  If  the  work 
by  means  of  which  they  earn  their  living  and 
school  expenses  is  within  reason,  it  harms  them  in 
no  way ;  in  many  ways  it  benefits  them.  Some 
young  men  undertake  to  work  outside  of  school 

these  lessons.  Call  for  volnnteer  schools  to  try  the  experiment. 
Permit  volunteers  among  the  teachers  to  prepare,  during  the  year, 
twenty  approved  half -hour  lectures,  taking  the  whole  year  to  per- 
fect them.  The  next  year  set  aside  twenty  half -hour  periods  in  the 
last  term  of  the  eighth  grade,  and  go  at  it.  At  least  some  of  the 
schools  will  succeed  in  making  a  series  of  lessons  worth  adopting, 
and  soon  the  hest  authorities  on  education  will  take  an  interest  in 
the  new  course  and  perfect  the  lessons.  In  this  case  the  main  thing 
is  to  make  a  determined  start. 


PUBLIC  WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS    9 

hours  and  during  vacations  and  attend  high  school 
full  time ;  some  work  half-days  and  attend  school 
half -days  ;  others  undertake  to  work  steadily  three 
or  four  years  to  save  enough  to  pay  the  expenses 
of  a  high-school  course.  Under  present  conditions, 
too  few  self-supporting  young  men  try  to  obtain  a 
high-school  education ;  and,  for  various  reasons,  too 
large  a  proportion  of  those  who  do  try  fail  to  carry 
out  their  intentions :  only  the  most  fortunate  and 
strongest  succeed, — but  happily  these  are  numbered 
by  the  thousands.  The  principal  reasons  for  failure 
are  unsteadiness  of  employment,  and  lack  of  asso- 
ciates who  are  striving  to  accomplish  the  same  end. 
How  much  better  could  the  desired  result  be 
accomplished  if  the  public  would  plan  to  employ 
ambitious  students  at  steady  and  justly  paid  work ! 
This  work  should  yield  enough  to  defray  the  stu- 
dent's necessary  expenses,  and  should,  whenever 
possible,  be  instructive  as  well.  Such  a  plan  would 
give  the  student  the  further  advantage  of  having 
associates  voluntarily  working  by  his  side  with  the 
same  object  in  view.  The  obtaining  of  an  educa- 
tion, instead  of  being  a  difficult  and  very  often  an 
impossible  task  for  a  self-supporting  young  man, 
would  become  a  decided  pleasure.  Eventually,  all 
young  men,  and  possibly  many  young  women,  would 
be  given  an  opportunity  to  earn  their  way  through 


10  PUBLIC    WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

high  school.  The  legal  time  for  attendance  in  such 
schools  should  extend  over  a  period  of  eight  years, 
anywhere  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  twenty- 
eight.  The  public  would  be  expected  to  provide  only 
grounds,  buildings,  and  initial  expenses,  and  then 
exercise  general  supervision  over  the  schools ;  the 
students  themselves  would  in  time  be  obliged  to 
earn  and  pay  all  operating  expenses  of  the  schools. 
The  plan  proposed  might  require  five,  ten,  or  even 
more  than  ten  times  the  present  high-school  capacity ; 
this  capacity,  however,  could  be  increased  with  but 
little  increase  in  taxation. 

By  reason  of  the  many  improvements  in  the 
methods  of  manufacture,  industrial  work  has  be- 
come so  productive  that  almost  any  healthy  young 
man  of  sixteen  or  eighteen  could  produce  enough 
in  five  hours  per  day  to  pay  the  necessary  expenses 
of  a  public  works  high  school  course.  After  two  or 
three  years  of  experience  in  work,  he  could  earn 
more  than  enough  for  the  necessary  expenses ;  and, 
if  he  wished  to  do  so,  could  accumulate  a  reserve 
fund  for  later  use.  Some  economists  assure  us  that 
when  our  industrial  programme  is  less  wasteful  and 
the  products  of  labor  are  distributed  in  an  approxi- 
mately equitable  manner,  the  average  laboring  man 
will  be  able  to  earn  enough  in  five  hours  per  day 
to  give  him  as  good  a  living  as  he  now  enjoys.  Two 


PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS  11 

o£  the  possible  results  of  the  proposed  plan  are  a 
greater  productiveness  per  work-hour  and  a  fairer 
distribution  of  the  products  of  labor. 

The  present  inequitable  distribution  of  the  prod- 
ucts of  labor,  and  the  lack  of  general  and  thorough 
secondary  education,  are  the  direct  causes  of  much 
unhappiness,  and  the  indirect  causes  of  virtually 
all  unhappiness.  Our  elementary  education  is  now 
well  distributed  ;  it  is,  however,  hardly  an  adequate 
preparation  for  life.  If  we  are  to  have  any  further 
progress,  except  in  a  slow,  laborious,  and  wasteful 
way,  every  young  person  with  sufficient  capacity 
should  be  given  an  opportunity  to  obtain  a  second- 
ary education.  The  plan  that  this  article  suggests 
aims  to  give  all  those  who  desire  this  education  the 
opportunity  to  earn  the  means  necessary  for  attend- 
ing high  school,  and,  incidentally,  it  aims  to  modify 
the  operation  of  utility  works  owned  by  the  public, 
so  that  public  ownership  will  effect  the  greatest 
possible  results.  No  better  means  is  at  hand  for 
the  equitable  distribution  of  some  of  the  principal 
products  of  labor  than  well-conducted  public  utility 
works. 

Every  practicable  public  opportunity,  and,  for 
that  matter,  every  private  one,  that  will  enable  a 
young  man  to  earn  the  means  for  his  high-school 
education  should  be  opened  to  him,  and,  eventu- 


12  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

ally,  should  be  opened  to  all  young  men  regardless 
of  whether  or  not  they  can  live  on  the  support  of 
parents  and  friends.  It  is  of  as  much  importance 
to  the  average  rich  man's  son  that  he  earn  his  own 
high-school  education  as  that  he  have  such  an  edu- 
cation. The  influence  of  complete  dependence  upon 
others  is  sometimes  ruinous.  This  is  evidenced  by 
every  supported  high-school  student  who  does  not 
earnestly  apply  himself  to  his  studies. 

How  shall  we  employ  the  young  men?  The 
public  has  municipal  work  to  do,  and  the  greater 
part  of  this  work  could  be  done  by  clear-headed 
young  men  from  sixteen  to  twenty-eight  years  of 
age,  who  are  students  in  public  works  high  schools. 
In  order  to  avoid  giving  the  younger  of  these 
students  too  many  hours  of  industrial  work  in  one 
continuous  period,  it  might  be  desirable  to  limit  one 
set  of  students  to  five  hours  of  labor  in  the  forenoon 
and  to  at  least  three  hours  of  school  work  in  the  after- 
noon ;  with  the  other  set  of  students  the  order  woidd 
have  to  be  reversed.  This  arrangement  of  time, 
with  modifications  for  night  work  and  special  cases, 
would  permit  one  half  of  the  students  to  take  a 
forenoon  session  in  school,  and  the  other  half  an 
afternoon  session.  Experienced  educators  say  that 
the  average  self-supporting  student  of  sixteen  can 
thoroughly   assimilate    a    full   high-school   course 


PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  13 

in  six  years  of  half-time  school  attendance.  As- 
suming this  to  be  true,  the  public  works  school,  if 
equipped  for  the  purpose,  could  either  give  two 
haK-time  years  to  technical  or  trade  training,  or  the 
same  amount  of  time  to  college  work. 

It  is  evident  that  the  study  programme  of  such 
a  school  would  differ  from  that  of  the  ordinary 
high  school  mainly  in  the  fact  that  each  forenoon 
programme  of  study  would  be  repeated  with  the 
other  set  of  students  in  the  afternoon.  In  case  such 
schools  are  established,  it  would  be  a  matter  for 
experience  to  decide  whether  it  would  be  better 
and  more  convenient  to  have  the  older  and  stronger 
boys  and  young  men  work  and  study  alternately 
by  half-days  or  by  longer  periods  of  time. 

Thousands  of  young  men  have  earned  the  means 
to  pay  their  way  through  a  full  high-school  course, 
and  have  taken  it  in  fewer  than  six  years.  What 
thousands  of  young  men  can  do  under  difficult 
conditions  in  less  time,  millions  could  do  in  the  six 
years  under  public  works  high  school  conditions. 
Furthermore,  we  should  find  that  the  self-support- 
ing students  of  these  schools,  after  once  the  proper 
rules  and  methods  were  established,  could  do  the 
manual,  and  even  the  managerial,  labor  of  many 
municipal  works  with  far  better  results  than  the 
average   works   can   show   at   the    present    time. 


14  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

What  is  here  said  of  students  of  public  works 
high  schools  would  apply  with  greater  force  to 
students  of  public  works  colleges,  should  these  col- 
leges ever  exist. 

One  way  in  which  a  trial  of  the  foregoing  plan 
might  be  made,  is  as  follows  :  — 

Take,  for  example,  a  city  of  ten  thousand  to 
thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  owning  its  water  works. 
Let  us  assume,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  that  the 
force  of  men  employed  in  the  water  works  is  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

1.  A  superintendent,  whose  duties  are  to  act  as 
secretary,  overseer  of  the  books,  and  general  man- 
ager of  the  office  and  works. 

2.  An  office  clerk,  whose  principal  duties  are  to 
do  the  bookkeeping  and  to  act  as  cashier. 

3.  A  meter  and  bill  man  to  read  the  meters  and 
make  out  the  monthly  water  bills. 

4.  A  foreman  over  the  mechanics  and  day  la- 
borers in  the  works  and  in  the  field. 

5.  A  machinist. 

6.  An  engineer  for  the  engine  and  pump  room. 

7.  A  fireman  for  the  boiler  room. 

8.  A  janitor,  whose  duties  include  messenger 
service  and  the  care  of  a  team. 

9.  Several  laborers  for  trench  digging  and  pipe 
laying. 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  15 

A  committee  composed  of  the  school  superin- 
tendent, the  principals  of  the  several  schools,  and 
one  or  more  members  from  each  educational,  social, 
and  business  society  might  be  organized  to  take 
the  matter  in  hand.  If  it  is  found  that  the  city- 
administration  and  the  citizens  will  readily  favor 
the  making  of  a  public  works  high  school  experi- 
ment in  connection  with  the  water  works,  the  com- 
mittee might  proceed  in  its  own  way,  or  it  might 
adopt  the  following  plan :  It  could  choose  two 
capable  young  men  who  are  willing  to  do  the 
janitor  service,  one  to  work  in  the  forenoon  and 
attend  school  in  the  afternoon ;  the  other  to  at- 
tend school  in  the  forenoon  and  work  in  the 
afternoon.  It  goes  without  saying  that  diligence 
must  be  required  of  the  young  men  in  the  water 
works,  also  regular  attendance  and  good  standing 
in  the  school.  The  committee,  in  making  its  choice 
of  young  men,  could  be  guided  largely  by  the 
recommendations  of  their  former  teachers,  and  be 
reasonably  sure  of  the  character  of  the  young 
men  chosen.  Since  there  are  no  public  works  high 
schools  in  existence  to  which  such  young  men  can 
be  sent,  the  committee  would,  for  the  present,  be 
obliged  to  make  arrangements  with  the  regular 
high  school  of  the  city  so  to  adjust  its  programme 
as  to  accommodate  seK-supporting   students  who 


16  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

wish  to  do  this  work.  It  might  at  first  be  some- 
what difficult  to  put  a  student  through  one  year  of 
the  course  in  two  years,  with  attendance  only  in 
the  forenoon  during  the  first  year,  and  the  next 
year  with  attendance  only  in  the  afternoon ;  but  this 
difficulty  would  gradually  be  overcome  as  the  teach- 
ing force  adapted  itself  to  the  new  condition.  Here 
we  must  remember  that  the  young  men  in  question 
will  be  students  above  the  average,  and  that  such 
students  are  a  pleasure  to  the  teachers.  This  fact 
will  do  much  to  lessen  the  burden  of  any  extra  work 
involved. 

About  two  weeks  before  the  beginning  of  the 
school  year,  the  two  young  men  chosen  for  janitor 
service  at  the  water  works  could  work  with  the 
janitor  and  take  instructions  from  him.  When 
school  begins,  the  janitor  would  leave, ^  and  the 
young  men  would  fill  his  place,  each  working  one 
half-day,  as  explained  before,  until  the  begin- 
ning of  the  next  school  year.  These  young  men 
would  have  to  work  during  the  vacations  the  same 
as  during  the  school  terms,  that  is,  five  hours  each 
day,  because  they  would  need  the  money  for  self- 
support,  and  because  it  would  be  impracticable  for 

^  The  committee  would  of  course  be  under  obligations  to  give 
the  displaced  employee  other  employment  at  similar  wages.  The 
problem  thus  presented  will  be  referred  to  later. 


PUBLIC  WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  17 

the  water  works  department  to  initiate  a  set  of  new 
men  each  vacation.* 

About  two  weeks  before  the  beginning  of  the 
second  year  of  our  experiment,  each  one  of  the 
student  janitors  could,  in  the  free  part  of  his  work 
day,  take  instructions  from  the  meter  reader  and 
bill  man  in  order  to  be  prepared  to  take  the  meter 
readings,  and  to  make  out  the  monthly  water  bills 
during  the  second  or  following  year.  During  the 
two  weeks  that  these  young  men  take  instructions 
from  the  meter  reader,  each  could,  during  his  work 
hours,  instruct  the  second  set  of  students  chosen 
by  the  committee  to  do  the  janitor  work  for  the 
coming  year.  Throughout  the  second  year  of  the 
experiment,  therefore,  the  second  set  of  students 
would  serve  as  janitors  and  messengers,  and  the 
first  would  do  the  meter  reading  and  make  out  the 
monthly  water  bills. 

About  four  weeks  before  the  beginning  of  the 
third  school  year  of  the  experiment,  each  one  of 
the  first  set  of  students  should,  in  the  free  part  of 
his  work  day,  take  instructions  from  the  office  clerk 
in  order  to  be  prepared  to  keep  the  books  and  to 
do  the  other  duties  of  the  clerk  during  the  follow- 

^  A  public  -works  school  experiment  that  promises  success  has 
been  started  by  Throop  Polytechnic  Institute  and  the  city  of 
Pasadena,  California. 


18  PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

ing,  or  third,  school  year.  Previous  to  this,  the  high 
school  should  have  prepared  the  first  set  of  stu- 
(lents  by  arranging  their  studies  so  that  both  would 
have  received  school  training  in  booklteeping  and 
office  work.  In  the  third  year,  therefore,  the  first 
set  of  students,  by  this  time  eighteen  to  twenty- 
two  years  old,  would  do  the  work  of  the  office 
clerk;  the  second  set,  seventeen  to  twenty-one 
years  old,  woidd  do  the  work  of  meter  reader  and 
biU  man  ;  and  the  third  set,  sixteen  to  twenty  years 
old,  would  do  the  janitor  and  messenger  work.  By 
this  time  the  janitor,  the  meter  and  biU  man,  and 
the  office  clerk  would  have  been  displaced ;  the 
first  set  of  students  would,  at  the  beginning  of  each 
school  year,  have  been  initiated  in  their  various 
duties  by  the  respective  men  originally  performing 
those  duties ;  the  second  and  third  set  of  students 
would  have  been  initiated  in  their  work,  each  by 
the  preceding  set.  Whenever  practicable,  high- 
school  studies  should  be  employed  to  help  the  stu- 
dents in  the  duties  of  the  current  year,  and  also  to 
help  prepare  them  for  the  duties  of  the  year  to 
follow.  The  courses  in  mechanics  and  bookkeeping 
would  meet  virtually  every  need  that  might  arise 
in  carrying  out  this  system. 

The  programme  as  given  above  could  be  contin- 
ued on  similar  lines  for  the  remaining  five  years 


PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS  19 

of  the  fuU  course.  Briefly  stated,  this  programme 
might  be  as  follows.  In  the  fourth  year,  the  first 
set  of  students,  now  from  nineteen  to  twenty-three 
years  old,  might  act  as  trench-makers  and  pipe- 
layers.  In  the  fifth  year,  they  could,  under  the 
supervision  of  the  engineer,  do  the  firing  and  dis- 
place the  fireman  ;  they  now  would  be  from  twenty 
to  twenty-four  years  old.  In  the  sixth  year,  with 
the  high-school  preparation  in  mechanics,  and 
with  the  supervision  of  the  foreman  and  machinist, 
they  could  perform  the  work  of  engineer.  In  the 
seventh  year,  with  the  technical  high-school  training, 
the  two  students,  now  twenty-two  to  twenty-six  years 
of  age,  could  ordinarily  do  the  work  of  the  machin- 
ist. In  the  eighth  year  of  our  experiment,  the  last 
year  of  the  course,  the  first  students  might  possi- 
bly be  competent  to  displace  the  foreman  ;  if  not, 
some  other  arrangement  could  be  made  to  keep 
them  employed.  From  the  plan  as  outlined,  it  will 
readily  be  seen  that  each  year,  as  the  first  set  of  stu- 
dents was  shifted  to  other  work,  the  shifting  of  the 
others  would  naturally  follow,  and  a  new  set  would 
be  introduced  as  janitors.  If  this  advancement  in 
the  work  should  prove  to  be  too  rapid  for  best  re- 
sults, the  students  could  be  confined  to  the  more 
common  work,  and  the  positions  of  engineer,  ma- 
chinist, and  foreman  could  be  left  in  older  hands. 


20  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

At  the  end  of  the  eighth  school  year,  the  first 
set  of  students  would  graduate  from  high  school 
and  would  no  longer  be  eligible  to  employment  in 
municipal  works,  except  in  the  few  positions  that 
are  of  necessity  permanent.  Aside  from  employ- 
ment in  these  permanent  positions,  one  of  the  fun- 
damental rules  regarding  the  students  in  the  muni- 
cipal works  must  be  that  they  shall  be  engaged 
only  while  receiving  a  public  works  high  school 
education  ;  and  that  graduates  and  others  shall  be 
employed  in  the  temporary  positions  only  when  there 
is  no  suitable  candidate  waiting  to  take  up  the  em- 
ployment for  the  purpose  of  receiving  such  educa- 
tion. 

We  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the 
young  men  employed  are  selected  because  of  special 
ability,  and  that  they  would  do  the  work  at  least  as 
well  as  the  average  man.  We  must  also  keep  in 
mind  the  fact  that,  if  public  works  high  schools 
are  opened,  the  several  municipal  enterprises  that 
might  be  within  the  territory  of  any  certain  school 
would,  in  a  sense,  become  a  part  of  its  curriculum, 
and  would  be  under  the  direct  scrutiny  of  the 
entire  school,  students  as  well  as  instructors.  Of 
course  the  municipal  water  works  here  used  as  an 
illustration  is  but  an  imaginary  affair,  much  sim- 
plified for  the  purpose  of  shortening  this  article. 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  21 

In  practice,  the  carrying  out  of  the  plan  just  out- 
lined would  prove  to  be  a  more  complicated  mat- 
ter than  we  have  made  it  appear ;  but  once  in 
operation,  this  plan  cannot  fail  of  success.  Not 
all  young  men  would  be  capable  of  doing  all  kinds 
of  work,  and  many  variations  from  a  typical  case 
might  be  required  to  suit  varying  conditions ;  such 
difficulties,  nevertheless,  can  be  overcome. 

Most  boys  finish  the  eighth  grade  by  the  time 
they  are  fourteen  years  old;  what  shall  be  done 
with  them  until  sixteen  years  of  age?  Those  who 
are  large  and  strong  for  their  years  might,  in  spe- 
cial cases,  be  given  some  light  employment  in  the 
municipal  works  and  allowed  to  attend  the  public 
works  high  school  as  though  they  were  sixteen  years 
old  ;  five  hours  daily  of  easy  occupation  would  not 
be  injurious  to  a  healthy  boy  of  fourteen.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  fourteen  and  fifteen-year-old  boys 
in  families  that  cannot  afford  to  keep  their  child- 
ren in  school  beyond  the  eighth  grade,  might  find 
light  half-time  employment  outside  of  municipal 
works.  These  boys  might  even  go  to  work  at  the 
most  suitable  full-time  employment  that  offers  until 
reaching  the  age  of  sixteen ;  or,  work  proving  un- 
available, they  might  simply  be  obliged  to  wait  until 
the  proper  age.  Parents  having  a  boy  graduate  from 
the  eighth  grade  at  the  age  of  fourteen  would,  of 


22  PUBLIC  WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

course,  if  they  could  afford  to  do  so,  fully  maintain 
him  and  pay  all  expenses  of  full-time  school  attend- 
ance during  the  ninth  and  tenth  grades,  and  then, 
after  the  boy  is  sixteen  years  old,  require  him  to 
earn  his  own  way  through  the  eleventh  and  twelfth 
grades,  and  what  might  be  called  the  thirteenth 
grade,  by  employment  either  in  some  public  works 
or  elsewhere.  This  thirteenth  grade  would  cover 
the  first  year  of  college  work,  or  two  half-time 
years  of  technical  or  of  trade  training.  These 
three  grades,  under  haK-time  attendance  in  the  pub- 
lic works  high  school,  would  require  five  years  of 
time. 

According  to  the  proposed  plan  for  public  works 
high  schools,  the  full  course  is  divided  into  eight 
half-grades  and  is  equivalent  to  a  regular  high- 
school  course  and  the  first  year  of  a  college  course. 
The  entire  work  of  each  of  the  half-grades  is 
given  in  the  forenoon,  and  repeated  in  the  after- 
noon, throughout  each  year,  for  the  benefit  of  both 
sets  of  the  half -day  pupils.  The  course  thus  planned 
will  cover  eight  years  for  the  half-day  pupils,  but 
will  at  the  same  time  offer  the  opportunity  for  full- 
day  pupils  to  complete  it  in  five  years,  as  at  pre- 
sent, by  attending  school  full  time  and  selecting 
such  studies  and  such  periods  as  will  give  credit 
for  a  full  course.  Since  in  all  probability  the  public 


PUBLIC   WOKKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  23 

works  high  school  students  would  eventually  pay 
the  entire  operating  expenses  of  the  schools,  the 
need  of  extending  the  legal  school  age  would  not 
be  a  disadvantage  so  long  as  any  one  individual 
may  attend  the  school  only  eight  half-years.  The 
age  limit,  ranging  from  sixteen  to  twenty-eight 
years,  would  make  a  number  of  sufficiently  mature 
men  available  for  the  municipal  works;  whereas, 
a  lower  age  limit  would,  for  some  departments,  be 
unwise. 

Under  an  arrangement  similar  to  that  described 
for  the  public  works  high  schools,  yet  without 
adopting  the  plan  in  fuU,  the  city  government  of 
any  city  having  a  polytechnic  institute  could  offer 
situations  to  suitable  students  of  the  institute,  and 
gradually  all  the  municipal  works  of  the  city  would 
become  closely  connected  with  the  school.  The  stu- 
dent employees  would  be  under  the  supervision  of 
the  proper  city  authorities,  and  would  at  the  same 
time  be  under  the  care  and  guidance  of  the  school. 
The  institute  could  make  the  study  of  the  mimici- 
pal  works  in  which  its  students  are  employed  a 
part  of  one  or  more  of  its  courses,  and  in  this  way 
develop  experts  and  managers  for  these  works.  In 
cities  not  having  schools  of  this  kind  from  which  to 
supply  their  own  demand,  good  employment  could 
readily  be  found  for  young  men  thus  prepared. 


24  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

Men  having  had  eight  years  of  half-time  practical 
experience,  together  with  the  same  length  of  time 
in  a  polytechnic  institute,  would  be  exceptionally 
valuable  in  either  publicly  or  privately  owned 
works. 

Every  individual  who  earnestly  strives  to  develop 
his  reasoning  power  properly  and  to  accumulate  a 
valuable  supply  of  knowledge  is  doing  his  first  duty 
to  the  state.  Here  we  mean  such  reasoning  power 
and  such  knowledge  as  will  result,  at  least,  in  the 
healthy  development  of  both  body  and  mind.  It  is, 
therefore,  to  the  interest  of  every  city  to  assist  all 
eligible  persons  desiring  to  obtain  a  high-school 
education  by  offering  them  such  employment  as  it 
can.  This  systematic  work,  both  in  school  and  out 
of  school,  will  develop  the  reasoning  power  to  the 
best  advantage.  By  employing  young  persons  who 
are  ready  to  work  for  an  education,  the  city  at  once 
gets  the  strongest  moral  class  of  labor,  and  thus 
raises  the  standard  of  municipal  purity.  The  fact 
that  each  student  employee  would  be  kept  on  one 
class  of  work  but  one  year,  or  as  long  as  good  serv- 
ice might  require;  the  fact  that  each  individual 
municipal  enterprise  would  be  a  subject  of  study  in 
a  public  works  high  school ;  and  the  further  fact 
that  the  students  of  these  schools  would  have  inti- 
mate and  practical  connection  with  the  municipal 


PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS  25 

works,  would  make  fraudulently  inclined  men  shun 
municipal  employment.  The  municipal  purity  that 
could  be  brought  about  by  this  plan  would  make 
municipal  ownership  a  comparatively  easy  matter; 
and  municipal  ownership  would  naturally  extend 
to  many  lines  of  business  that  cannot  now  be  under- 
taken by  the  city  on  account  of  graft,  some  of  which 
intrudes  into  civic  positions  and  does  moral  and 
economic  damage  beyond  calculation.  The  relations 
here  proposed  for  the  city  and  the  public  works 
high  schools  would  apply  equally  to  the  state  and 
the  public  works  colleges. 

As  public  works  high  schools  and  colleges  develop, 
it  would  become  feasible  to  have  municipal  tele- 
phone systems,  water  woi-ks,  gas  works,  electric 
works,  ice  plants,  dairies,  laundries,  and  street 
railways ;  also  public  telegraph,  postal  savings 
banks,  government  railways,  and  other  govern- 
ment enterprises.  Later,  the  field  of  public  enter- 
prise could  be  so  extended  that  one  half  of  the 
necessities  of  life  would  be  furnished,  approxi- 
mately at  cost,  by  public  works.  When  such  a  time 
is  reached,  all  who  are  not  in  the  higher  financial 
strata,  and  all  into  whose  lives  luxuries  do  not  enter 
largely,  would  no  longer  pay  unnecessary  tribute  to 
trusts  and  monopolies.  The  average  individual  can 
entirely  shake  off  the  dwarfing  effects  of  paying 


26  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

this  unnecessary  tribute  only  when  he  and  his 
fellows  are  sufficiently  enlightened  to  cooperate 
intelligently  in  supplying  their  more  important 
needs. 

The  greater  the  number  of  municipal  enterprises 
that  can  be  operated  successfully,  the  greater  will 
be  the  number  of  students  that  can  be  employed, 
and  the  more  rapid  will  be  our  intellectual  and 
economic  growth.  Varied  work  for  the  young  in 
any  municipal  business  would  teach  good  business 
methods  by  actual  practice,  and  good  business  meth- 
ods are  a  most  valuable  asset  in  private  life.  After 
eight  years  of  half-time  employment  in  municipal 
works,  the  young  citizen  would  be  familiar  with  the 
details  of  operation  in  these  works ;  and,  further- 
more, he  could  more  readily  familiarize  himself  with 
other  municipal  business.  Thus  he  would  be  trained 
to  be  a  reliable  judge  in  matters  pertaining  to  mu- 
nicipal industry ;  and,  when  a  large  majority  of  the 
citizens  are  thus  trained,  any  indifference  to  public 
trust  or  any  possible  fraudulent  action  on  the  part 
of  a  municipal  employee,  would  be  still  more  quickly 
discovered.  The  annual  reports  of  all  municipal 
industries  would  naturally  be  freely  studied,  com- 
pared, and  criticised  by  the  majority  of  graduates 
of  the  public  works  high  schools.  These  schools 
could,  if  necessary,  well  afford  to  omit  some  of  the 


PUBLIC  WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  27 

present  higli-school  studies,  valuable  though  they 
are,  in  order  to  study  municipal  industrial  business 
and  thereby  aid  in  the  establishment  and  mainte- 
nance of  greater  purity  in  municipal  industrial 
enterprises  ;  but,  regardless  of  the  foregoing  reason, 
municipal  industrial  activity,  carefully  considered, 
wotild  still  be  an  interesting,  instructive,  and  pro- 
fitable study  for  the  schools. 

There  is  one  thing  iil  particular  that  could  be 
done  for  publicity  in  municipal  enterprise  that 
would  at  the  same  time  be  of  value  to  the  public 
works  high  schools.  The  bookkeeping  classes  could 
be  given  complete  sets  of  copies  of  the  corre- 
spondence, the  vouchers,  and  the  various  account 
books  for  the  previous  year,  of  one  or  more  of 
the  municipal  enterprises  of  the  city ;  and,  during 
the  current  year,  they  could  enter  and  post  each 
item  to  its  proper  aiccount,  and  balance  the  books 
at  the  customary  intervals.  The  bookkeeping 
course  could  just  as  well  include  some  part  of 
the  city's  actual  bookkeeping  as  to  provide  only 
imaginary  work ;  some  imaginary  work  in  other 
lines  of  business  would  still  be  necessary,  but 
less  would  answer  in  consequence  of  the  practice 
obtained  from  the  municipal  bookkeeping.  The 
classes  would  naturally  feel  a  keener  interest  in 
actual  than  in  imaginary  work,  and  the  students 


28  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

would  become  familiar  with  those  municipal  enter- 
prises, the  accounts  of  which  they  had  audited. 
Should  the  time  come  for  some  of  these  stu- 
dents to  act  as  clerks  in  these  particular  enter- 
prises, they  would  be  especially  fitted  for  such 
service. 

Instead  of  using  copies  of  correspondence,  vouch- 
ers, and  account  books  of  the  previous  year,  as 
suggested  above,  it  might  be  practicable  at  once  to 
duplicate  all  office  work  and  have  the  bookkeeping 
classes  of  the  high  school  keep  duplicate  books  at 
the  same  time  that  the  original  books  are  being  kept 
in  the  office  of  the  municipal  works.  The  doing  of 
actual,  current  work  would,  no  doubt,  create  a  live- 
lier interest  than  would  the  reproduction  of  work 
a  year  old.  If  the  office  of  the  municipal  enter- 
prise and  the  public  works  high  school  would 
act  in  harmony,  the  labors  of  bookkeeping  in 
the  school  could  be  so  arranged  as  to  enable  the 
instructors  to  distribute  the  work  among  many 
students,  and  thus  save  much  time  and  obtain 
better  results.  It  is  probable  that  the  methods 
of  teaching  the  actual  bookkeeping  of  municipal 
works  as  outlined  would  have  to  be  developed 
as  a  science,  through  practical  experience  in  the 
smaller  cities,  before  becoming  applicable  to  the 
larger  cities  where  the  bookkeeping  of  the  muni- 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  29 

cipal  works  is  of  too  great  magnitude  for  experi- 
mental purposes.^ 

With  the  growing  importance  of  industrial  life, 
the  public  works  high  school  may  have  to  give  more 
than  the  ordinary  amount  of  time  to  the  study  of 
bookkeeping  ;  and  bookkeeping,  to  a  certain  point, 
should  perhaps  be  made  compulsory,  as  it  has 
become  so  vital  an  element  in  our  economic  and 
political  life.  To  the  end  that  all  cities  may  adopt 
practically  the  same  system,  the  whole  process 
of  municipal  bookkeeping  is  steadily  being  made 
more  simple  and  more  uniform.  The  bookkeeping 
department  of  public  works  high  schools  could  make 
it  a  point  to  look  for  improved  methods  in  munici- 
pal accounting,  and  in  the  rendering  of  municipal 

^  The  city's  department  of  education  is  but  a  municipal  enter- 
prise, and  the  account  books  of  this  department  would  at  once 
be  available  for  study  by  the  bookkeeping  classes.  After  a  pro- 
gramme for  the  study  of  these  books  has  been  perfected,  the  plan 
could  readily  be  extended  to  include  the  books  of  other  city 
departments  as  suggested  above.  In  cities  having  several  high 
schools  and  colleges,  each  of  the  schools  might  be  confined  to  the 
books  of  a  different  department  or  works,  thus  specializing  the 
accounting.  In  reviewing  the  books  of  the  department  of  educa- 
tion, all  details,  including  the  individual  teacher's  salary,  would  be- 
come known  to  students,  and  this  might  at  first  be  embarrassing 
to  those  teachers  who  are  less  frank  than  they  should  be.  Teach- 
ers, especially,  should  be  frank  enough  to  be  above  such  embarrass- 
ment. It  is  through  the  department  of  education  that  this  invalu- 
able publicity  can  best  be  introduced  into  all  other  departments. 


30  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

reports.  The  ultimate  object  of  the  reports  should 
be  to  make  easy  and  instructive  a  comparative  study 
of  similar  reports  from  other  cities,  and  to  enable 
the  citizen  to  recognize,  in  the  report,  any  dollar  of 
which  he  knows  the  history,  and  to  learn  the  history 
of  any  other  dollar  that  he  may  wish  to  know.  To 
the  ultimate  advantage  of  both  the  cities  and  the 
schools,  the  schools  could  cooperate  with  public- 
spirited  citizens  who  have  already  accomplished 
much  in  this  direction.  The  books  of  city  auditors 
could  be  handled  in  the  same  way  as  described  for 
the  books  of  municipal  works. 

A  large  number  of  persons  believe  that  one  might 
as  well  employ  a  lot  of  frisky  colts  in  a  municipal 
works  as  to  employ  young  men  between  sixteen  and 
twenty  years  of  age.  The  fact  remains,  nevertheless, 
and  we  wish  to  reiterate  it,  that  a  large  majority  of 
selected  young  men  of  the  ages  mentioned,  after 
remarkably  little  practice,  can  be  taught  to  do  half 
a  day's  work  of  a  rather  complicated  nature  fully 
as  well  as  the  average  man  can  do  this  work,  and 
sometimes  even  better.  If  we  choose  young  men 
from  sixteen  to  twenty  years  of  age  who  have  made 
a  good  school  record  for  themselves  through  the  first 
eight  or  ten  grades,  young  men  who  have  acted  sens- 
ibly since  leaving  school,  and  if  we  start  a  fresh 
group  each  year  in  a  public  works  high  school  and 


PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  31 

a  municipal  works,  at  the  end  of  eiglit  years,  when 
the  first  set  who  have  taken  the  full  course  graduate, 
we  shall  see  a  works  operated  by  young  men  who  are 
a  credit  to  the  schools  and  who  are  doing  justice  to 
the  city  employing  them.  After  a  municipal  works 
has  been  operated  by  public  works  high  school  stu- 
dents for  ten  years,  it  would  not  be  unreasonable  to 
expect  that  the  results  accomplished  by  the  average 
student  of  twenty  years,  in  five  hours  of  daily  labor, 
would  equal  what  is  accomplished  in  eight  hours  or 
even  more  by  the  average  laborer  at  the  present  time. 
This  result  would  not  necessarily  be  brought  about 
through  unusual  ability  shown  by  the  student,  but 
through  the  better  systemization  of  the  work  and 
the  greater  publicity.  This  systemization  and  pub- 
licity will  result  in  the  saving  of  labor,  and  in  the 
discovery  of  the  true  measure  of  work  per  hour  that 
the  average  man  can  reasonably  be  expected  to  do. 
In  municipal  works  that  can  avail  themselves  of 
self-supporting  college  students,  the  results  would 
of  course  be  still  better. 

What  one  frequently  sees  ambitious  young  men 
doing  to  earn  their  way  through  high  school  in  four 
years'  time,  is  sufficient  encouragement  for  the  be- 
lief that  the  average  young  man,  if  given  proper  and 
fairly  paid  half-time  employment,  could  easily  earn 
his  own  living  expenses,  as  well  as  the  monthly  school 


32  PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

fees  necessary  to  cover  his  share  of  the  running  ex- 
penses of  the  school,  and  finish  a  complete  public 
works  high  school  course  in  eight  years  with  half- 
time  attendance.  Of  course  he  would  have  to  prac- 
tice economy,  live  a  pure,  healthy,  simple  life,  and 
spend  his  wages  for  right  things,  —  all  of  which 
practice  tends  towards  greater  happiness.  It  be- 
comes relatively  easy  to  live  in  this  way  when  one 
is  at  work  obtaining  an  education. 

Making  allowances  for  previous  school  training, 
a  careful  study  of  a  number  of  self-sustaining  stu- 
dents, as  compared  with  those  supported  by  their 
parents  or  friends,  would,  as  a  rule,  be  convincing 
proof  that  the  best  way  to  obtain  a  high-school  edu- 
cation is  to  work  for  it.  It  is  true  that  young  men, 
if  ambitious  and  capable,  can  develop  their  minds 
and  gain  a  store  of  knowledge  outside  of  school 
and  without  teachers,  and  they  frequently  do  this. 
This  independent  development  is,  however,  impos- 
sible except  for  the  most  capable  boys,  and  even 
these  cannot  gain  it  so  well  and  so  quickly  as  they 
could  in  an  institution  of  learning  equipped  for  the 
purpose,  and  with  the  incentive  of  working  in  com- 
pany with  zealous  fellow-students,  —  the  only  kind 
that  should  be  tolerated  in  the  public  works  high 
schools  or  in  any  high  school. 

Taxes  could  not  become  an  obstacle  to  the  es- 


PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  33 

tablisliing  of  public  works  high  schools  because, 
after  the  schools  are  in  working  order,  the  students 
would  be  required  to  pay  tuition  which  eventually 
could  be  made  sufficient  to  cover  all  operating  ex- 
penses. The  public  would  construct  the  buildings, 
supply  the  first  educational  and  other  necessary 
appliances,  and  pay  the  deficit  in  operating  expenses 
until  the  school  came  into  full  operation.  Under 
a  highly  developed  industrial  and  economic  pro- 
gramme, the  payment  of  these  operating  expenses  by 
the  students  would  be  an  easy  matter.  If,  in  time, 
every  young  man  and  young  woman  eligible  to  the 
public  works  high  school  were  to  apply  for  entrance, 
it  ought  not  to  cost  the  public  more  per  capita  gradu- 
ally to  build  and  start  the  larger  number  of  schools 
required  than  it  would  cost  both  to  build  and  to 
maintain  the  comparatively  limited  number  of  free 
high  schools  that  would  be  required  under  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  present  system. 

Laboring  men  and  others  now  employed  by  the 
cities  in  municipal  works  should  bear  in  mind  that 
the  founding  of  public  works  high  schools  would 
at  best  be  a  very  slow  process,  and  that  relatively 
few  of  the  employees  would  be  displaced  by  the 
students.  In  any  city  having  several  municipal 
works,  there  would  probably  be  enough  vacancies 
and  new  positions  at  any  time   to  accommodate 


34  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

all  old  employees  that  might  be  displaced  by  stu- 
dents taken  into  the  first  works  in  which  the  pub- 
lic works  high  school  experiment  might  be  tried. 
As  the  field  of  operation  of  the  school  would  ex- 
tend by  slow  degrees  from  works  to  works,  old  em- 
ployees would  drop  out  by  natural  processes,  and 
thus  make  ample  room  for  the  student  employees. 
It  is  clear  that  the  effect  of  the  public  works  high 
school  on  the  employees  of  municipal  works  would 
be  no  more  than  an  occasional  inconvenience. 

The  effect  on  the  general  labor  market  produced 
by  the  introduction  of  public  works  high  schools 
would  be  but  slight,  for  it  has  virtually  the  same 
effect  whether  young  men  work  half  time  from  six- 
teen to  twenty-four  years  of  age,  or  f uU  time  from 
twenty  to  twenty-four.  Most  young  men  who  are 
not  attending  school  should  be  at  work  full  time 
when  eighteen  years  of  age.  In  addition  to  this, 
some  public  works  high  school  students  would  not 
begin  attendance  at  school  until  twenty  years 
old,  and  then  would  work  only  half  time  until 
twenty -eight  years  old,  thus  taking  eight  years  of 
half  time  off  the  market.  The  school  therefore 
would  reduce,  instead  of  increase,  the  supply  of 
labor  on  the  general  labor  market.  Furthermore, 
these  students  working  half  time  would  of  necessity 
spend  the  greater  part  of  their  earnings  locally. 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  35 

For  these  reasons  the  school  could  have  hardly  a 
temporary  effect  on  even  the  local  labor  market, 
not  to  mention  the  general  market.^  Of  the  possi- 
ble effects  on  the  labor  market  referable  to  pub- 
lic works  high  schools,  none  appear  to  be  bad ;  but 
if  there  could  be  any  bad  effects,  they  must  appear 
very  trifling  when  compared  with  the  good  that 
these  schools  would  do  laboring  men  through 
their  children.  There  is  no  reason  for  believing 
that  laboring  men  care  less  for  their  children  than 
do  the  more  wealthy.  Many  laboring  men  feel 
keenly  their  inability  to  send  their  children  to 
high  school. 

If  the  public  works  high  school  should  prove  to 
be  as  valuable  as  we  believe  it  would  be,  and  if  this 
high  school  system  should  become  general,  all  mu- 
nicipal industrial  activities  would  be  purified  under 
the  scrutiny  of  the  school,  so  that  even  private 
business  would  discover  a  good  example  in  the 
management  of  the  municipal  works  and  would 
gradually  rise  to  the  new  standard.  After  the  public 

^  Under  an  ideal  economic  system  there  could  be  no  condition 
that  would  result  in  other  than  a  temporary  local  oversupply  of 
labor  pending  readjustment.  The  demand  for  labor  would  increase 
in  proportion  to  the  increase  in  workers,  because  each  worker 
•would  create  a  demand  for  products  practically  equal  to  his  in- 
dustrial output.  The  public  works  high  school  is  suggested  as  an 
important  element  in  bringing  about  such  an  economic  system. 


36  PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS 

at  large  had  had  some  experience  in  municipal  busi- 
ness, industrial  delinquents  in  all  fields,  whether 
employers  or  employees,  would  be  quickly  dis- 
tinguishable from  the  men  who  do  capably,  and 
without  extortion  or  theft,  their  share  of  the  world's 
work.  The  public  works  high  school  would,  event- 
ually, raise  the  intellectual  and  moral  standard  of 
humanity  so  high  that  there  would  be  no  danger  of 
retrogression,  because  people  who  understand  a 
nobler  life  clearly  enough  to  appreciate  it  will  never 
be  satisfied  with  the  lower  ideal. 

The  pubhc  works  high  school  would  remove  a 
burden  from  the  parents  by  aiding  their  children 
of  over  sixteen  years  of  age  to  earn  both  living 
and  education.  It  would  be  a  great  satisfaction 
for  parents  to  feel  certain  that  their  children,  if 
fairly  healthy  and  strong,  would  have  an  opportun- 
ity to  obtain  a  good  education  through  their  own 
efforts.  All  parents  who  desire  to  send  their  child- 
ren to  high  school,  but  who  cannot  do  so,  or  who 
have  a  hard  struggle  to  do  so,  would  appreciate  the 
benefit  that  the  public  works  high  school  would  be 
to  them.  By  reason  of  the  school,  such  parents 
would  have  more  time  for  recreation  and  for  plea- 
surable mental  improvement,  and  would  be  more 
companionable  to  their  children.  The  truer  mutual 
love  between  the  more  enlightened   parents  and 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  37 

their  more  enlightened  children  would  raise  the 
standard  of  the  home,  and  every  evil  known  to 
social  science  would  be  just  so  much  nearer  cor- 
rection. 

Every  one  should  earn  enough  money  for  the  ne- 
cessities of  life,  for  recreation,  and  for  further  de- 
velopment. If  a  man  is  to  become  better  acquainted 
with  the  world,  and  become  a  worthy  part  of  it,  he 
shoiJd  have  money  and  time  for  books  and  for  other 
aids  in  learning.  In  order  to  grow,  a  man  must 
not  only  earn  more  money  than  is  necessary  to 
cover  the  mere  necessities  of  life,  but  he  must  also 
learn  to  spend  this  surplus  money  to  good  advan- 
tage ;  and  he  must  earn  the  money  during  such 
hours  per  day  as  will  leave  a  few  hours  daily  for 
recreation  and  for  development.  It  is  also  essential 
that  he  know  how  to  use  this  spare  time  to  good 
advantage  in  order  to  realize  from  it  worthy  ad- 
vancement. With  most  persons,  as  said  before, 
it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  education  be 
commenced  while  young,  and  that  it  be  received 
in  a  school  which  offers  at  least  the  usual  high 
school  studies.  The  public  works  high  school  plan 
would  provide  experience  that  would  teach  the  stu- 
dent how  to  study,  earn,  save,  spend,  and  live ;  and 
it  would  make  a  livelihood  obtainable  by  all  with 
fewer  hours  of  daily  labor  than  are  now  required. 


38  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

While  speaking  of  leisure  time  and  the  best  way 
of  employing  it,  the  following  plan  is  suggested  as 
a  practicable  one  for  the  summer  vacations  of  stu- 
dents of  the  public  works  high  school.  During 
this  vacation  the  students  would  have  one  half -day 
free  every  day,  as  they  would  be  employed  at  the 
works  only  in  the  forenoon  or  afternoon,  except 
during  the  last  weeks,  when  they  would  be  required 
to  take,  from  the  prior  set  of  students,  such  instruc- 
tion as  would  prepare  them  for  their  duties  at 
the  works  during  the  next  school  year.  Instead  of 
working  half  time  each  day,  the  students  might 
remain  at  their  work  fuU  time  for  half  their  vaca- 
tion, one  set  during  the  first  half,  the  other  set 
during  the  second  half,  and  then  join  an  out-of-door 
summer  class  of  forty  or  fifty  on  camping  trips 
under  the  guidance  of  a  public  works  high  school 
instructor,  whose  duty  it  would  be  to  teach  nature 
studies.  In  all  cases  where  the  students'  financial 
condition  would  permit,  the  remaining  vacations 
could  also  be  turned  to  some  pleasurable  and  good 
use. 

Have  you  tried  to  realize  the  latent  happiness  in 
this  plan  ?  Eventually,  almost  every  young  person 
of  public  works  high  school  age  would  be  at  work  in 
some  municipal  business  five  hours,  and  would  be 
attending  school  three  hours  per  day ;  he  would  be 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  39 

virtually  seK-supporting,  and  at  the  same  time 
would  be  developing  a  keen  intelligence  ;  he  would 
be  in  good  and  happy  student  company  for  eight 
years,  and  after  eight  years  of  such  excellent  train- 
ing, he  would  come  out  as  a  first-class  citizen  to 
take  his  place  in  a  community  of  a  high  order. 
Those  graduates  who  might  wish  to  enter  a  busi- 
ness career  would,  without  special  training,  be  well 
prepared  to  fiU  any  ordinary  position  and  to  ad- 
vance in  this  position.  Those  who  might  desire  a 
professional  or  further  business  training  in  college 
would  be  in  excellent  mental  condition  to  begin 
this  training.  Others  who  choose  to  be  artisans, 
with  a  remarkably  short  apprenticeship,  would  be- 
come proficient.  In  order  to  fit  such  students  to 
become  artisans,  the  eighth  or  both  the  seventh  and 
the  eighth  year  of  the  school  course,  as  the  case 
might  require,  could  be  confined  largely  to  trade 
courses  which  would  give  both  manual  and  text- 
book training. 

Let  us  take  the  plumber's  trade,  for  example. 
The  students  choosing  it  could  be  given  manual 
training  of  much  practical  value,  also  lessons  from 
a  technical  school  book  on  the  subject.  These  stu- 
dents might  also  be  required  to  read  a  trade  journal 
on  plumbing.  One  or  two  years  of  half-time  school 
attendance  confined  to  plumbing  and  the  studies 


40  PUBLIC  WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS 

related  to  this  subject  would  prepare  the  young 
man  to  such  a  degree  that  he  would  be  sought  by 
employers.  The  student's  careful  training  in  ele- 
mentary hygiene,  sanitation,  and  chemistry,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  more  general  studies,  has  fitted  him 
to  continue  study  on  scientific  lines,  if  he  should 
feel  so  inclined,  until  he  makes  himself  a  master 
of  sanitation,  chemistry,  and  other  related  sciences. 
A  capable  man  could  use  all  his  ability  for  a  life- 
time in  the  endeavor  to  master  the  important  things 
there  are  to  know  about  plumbing  and  the  sciences 
that  bear  on  it ;  in  inventing  new  plumbing  devices ; 
or  in  discovering  new  scientific  facts  in  regard  to 
the  trade.  A  journeyman  plumber  having  a  public 
works  high  school  education  on  which  to  build  has 
quite  as  good  opportunities  to  make  himself  re- 
spected and  valued  as  he  could  have  in  any  other 
position  in  life.  Similar  argument  could  be  made 
in  favor  of  carpentry,  house-painting  and  decorat- 
ing, drafting,  pattern-making,  machine-building, 
and  other  trades. 

Each  city  of  sufficient  size  to  have  at  least  one 
well-attended  high  school  would,  after  the  general 
introduction  of  the  public  works  high  school,  have 
a  number  of  the  latter  institutions,  and  the  trade 
courses  could  be  so  arranged  that  no  two  schools 
would  teach  the  same  trades.  In  this  way  the  stu- 


PUBLIC  WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  41 

dents  in  such  cities  would  be  given  the  choice  of  a 
number  of  occupations. 

With  the  introduction  of  public  works  high 
schools,  high  schools  would  not,  as  now,  consist 
principally  of  young  men  and  young  women  of 
well-to-do  families.  Relatively  poor  children  who 
now  leave  school  at  the  close  of  the  eighth  grade 
would  attend  the  public  works  high  school  in  large 
numbers.  Many  children  who  now  leave  school 
after  the  sixth  and  seventh  grades  would  then 
strive  to  continue  at  school  through  the  eighth 
grade,  and  would  afterwards  enter  the  public  works 
high  school. 

Now  we  come  to  the  question,  could  the  students 
do  work  of  enough  value  in  five  hours  per  day  to 
earn  their  personal  expenses,  including  their  pro- 
portionate share  of  the  running  expenses  of  the 
school?  Many  sixteen-year-old  students  are  now 
entirely  self-supporting,  so  the  question  may  be  con- 
sidered settled  for  almost  all  other  students  who  are 
in  good  physical  condition.  If  parents  can  easily  af- 
ford to  do  so,  there  would  be  no  objection  to  their  ren- 
dering aid  to  make  the  student  life  of  their  child- 
ren more  effective  and  comfortable,  but  too  much 
aid  should  be  avoided.  Members  of  well-to-do  fami- 
lies will  be  likely  to  believe  that  sixteen-year-old 
boys  should  not  work;  these  members  will  object 


42  PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS 

to  such  steady  occupation  as  our  plan  makes  nec- 
essary. The  public  works  high  school  would  require 
the  self-supporting  student  to  work  five  hours  per 
day  six  days  of  the  week  every  week  in  the  year, 
except  the  few  weeks  of  the  summer  vacations,  and 
would  require  him  to  attend  school  three  hours  per 
day  about  forty  weeks  of  the  year.  As  our  schools 
are  at  present  conducted,  sixteen-year-old  boys  of 
well-to-do  families  are  now  attending  school  six 
hours  per  day  for  forty  weeks  of  the  year,  and  it 
is  doubtful  whether  it  would  not  be  better  for 
them  to  do  reasonable  work  for  five  hours  in 
place  of  three  of  the  hours  of  daily  school  at- 
tendance. During  the  forty  school  weeks,  the  dif- 
ference in  hardships  between  attending  a  public 
works  high  school  and  the  present  high  school 
would  be  slight. 

Now  let  us  examine  the  details  of  this  question. 
Can  the  students  earn  enough  by  five  hours'  work 
a  day  to  pay  their  entire  expenses  ?  In  cities  where 
the  ruling  wages  for  common  labor  in  munici- 
pal works  is  twenty-five  cents  per  hour,  the  fol- 
lowing figures  would,  approximately,  hold  good. 
The  figures  given  would  apply  where  the  public 
works  high  school  is  of  sufficient  size  for  economi- 
cal operation.  For  young  men  away  from  home, 
cooperative  boarding  clubs  could  furnish  suitable 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  43 

meals  at  $2.50  per  week ;  many  college  boarding 
clubs  are  doing  this  now,  and  in  some  instances 
they  furnish  board  at  even  a  lower  rate.  A  mother 
who  is  a  good  manager  might  possibly  board  her 
son  by  increasing  her  household  expenses  only 
$2.00  per  week,  especially  if  he  did  what  he  could 
to  accomplish  this  result;  and  she  could  give  a 
small,  plainly  furnished  room,  with  heat  and  light, 
at  fifty  cents  per  week,  and  do  the  laundry  work 
at  forty  cents  per  week,  if  the  young  man  was 
sensibly  economical  and  would  occasionally  help  her 
with  the  work.  An  operating  expense  of  $60  a  year 
for  each  full-time  student  is  more  than  many  high 
schools  are  allowed,  and  this  amount  permits  of  the 
maintenance  of  the  equipment  and  the  employ- 
ment of  efficient  teachers ;  therefore,  $30  a  year  for 
each  half-time  student  is  what  we  will  allow.  A 
young  man  who  has  learned  how  to  buy  and  care 
for  clothes  can  dress  himself  comfortably  and  pre- 
sentably  for  $65  or  $70  a  year.  For  text-books 
and  other  school  requisites,  stationery,  toilet 
articles,  car  fares,  amusements,  church,  and  other 
necessary  expenses,  we  have  estimated  $50.  These 
figures  make  a  total  for  annual  expenses  of  $300, 
or  about  $6  per  week,  as  shown  by  the  following 
table :  — 


44  PUBLIC  WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

ESTQtATED  COST  OF  A  TEAB's  MAINTENANCE  AT  SCHOOL  FOR  A 
STUDENT  LIVING  AT  HOME,  BUT  PAYING  HIS  PARENTS  THB 
ACTUAL  COST  OF  BOARD,  ROOM,  AND  LAUNDRY 


Board  at  $2.00  a  week. 

per  year  $104.00 

Room  with  light  and  heat  at  50  cents  a  week 

"      "        26.00 

Laundry  at  40  cents  a  week, 

"      "        20.80 

School  tuition,  for  half-time  attendance, 

"      "        30.00 

Clothing, 

"      "        70.00 

School  books  and  other  items. 

"      "        50.00 

$300.80 

The  figures  just  given  and  those  following  are 
based  partly  on  calculation,  and  partly  on  reports 
of  the  actual  experience  of  a  number  of  boys  and 
young  men  who  are  earning  their  way  through  high 
schools  in  California. 

Not  all  young  men  sixteen  years  old  who  might 
desire  to  attend  a  public  works  high  school  have 
homes  where  they  can  live  in  this  way.  Room, 
board,  and  laundry  would  be  likely  to  cost  these 
young  men  a  little  more.  Dormitories  built  by  the 
city,  or  by  voluntary  societies  formed  for  the  pur- 
pose, could  provide  suitable  rooms  furnished  with 
the  heavy  pieces  only,  steam  heated,  and  of  a  size 
to  accommodate  two  students,  at  a  rental  of  $4.50 
per  month ;  this  figure  is  so  calculated  as  to  pay 
repairs  and  to  yield  a  net  income  of  four  per 
cent  annually  if  the  property  is  held  free  from  all 
taxation.    Where  economy  is  an  object,  good  and 


PUBLIC  WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  45 

ample  municipal  light  need  not  cost  more  than 
sixty  cents  per  month.  The  student  could  get  along 
with  fifty  cents  per  week  and  even  less  for  laun- 
dry, if  the  work  was  done  at  special  school  rates. 
If  the  public  works  high  school  should  be  estab- 
lished, thousands  of  willing  minds  wiU  invent  ways 
to  make  the  students'  living  less  expensive  and 
better. 

ESTIMATED    COST  OF   A  TEAR's   MAINTENANCE   AT  SCHOOL   FOB  A 
STUDENT  LIVING  AWAY  FROM  HOME 

Board  at  club  $2.50  a  week,  per  year  $130.00 


Half  of  room  and  heat  at  $4.50  a  month  for  two,  " 
Half  of  light  at  60  cents  a  month  for  two,  " 

Laundry  at  50  cents  per  week,  " 

School  tuition,  for  half-time  attendance,  " 

Clothing,  " 

School  books  and  other  items,  " 


27.00 
3.60 
26.00 
30.00 
70.00 
50.00 

$336.60 


This  amounts  to  practically  $6.50  per  week. 

The  student,  by  taking  a  smaller  room  alone, 
would  increase  his  expenses  about  $1  per  month, 
thus  making  his  weekly  expenses  amount  to  about 
$6.75.  The  room  rents  given  include  only  the 
heavy  furnishing  of  the  rooms.  Our  figures  do  not 
include  the  care  of  the  rooms ;  the  young  men 
would  have  to  care  for  them,  but  this  would  not 
be  difficult,  as  the  rooms  and  the  main  pieces  of 
furniture  would  invariably  be  built  for  easy  clean- 


46  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

ing.  In  order  to  cover  these  yearly  expenses  with 
sufficient  certainty,  allowing  for  a  few  days  off  for 
possible  sickness,  accident,  or  other  imperative  rea- 
sons, the  student  might  have  to  earn  and  to  receive 
in  wages  as  much  as  $1  a  week  of  six  five-hour 
days,  or  about  $364  a  year.  In  addition  to  this, 
every  student  should  enter  with  i50.  With  part  of 
this  amount  he  could  buy  his  room  furnishings, 
and  the  remainder  he  could  hold  in  reserve  for 
emergencies.  He  should  also  come  with  a  full 
supply  of  clothing.  This  $50  and  enough  more 
to  buy  a  supply  of  clothing,  the  progressive  boy 
could,  if  necessary,  earn  and  save  in  the  time  be- 
tween finishing  the  eighth  grade  and  entering  the 
public  works  high  school. 

Now,  the  question  remains,  could  selected  young 
men  of  sixteen  years,  who  had  passed  at  least  the 
eighth  grade,  earn  the  $1  in  a  week  of  five-hour  days? 
Investigation  shows  that  they  could  earn  it  in  the 
majority  of  cases,  and  with  economy  to  the  public. 
Furthermore,  they  could  be  given  twenty-five  cents 
per  hour  the  second  year,  thirty  cents  per  hour  the 
third  year,  and  forty  cents  per  hour  for  all  the 
remaining  years,  and  this  with  profit  to  the  public. 
In  localities  where  living  expenses  are  lower  than 
those  given  in  our  schedules,  the  wages  would,  no 
doubt,  be  relatively  lower.  Forty  cents  per  hour 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  47 

■would  give  the  older  students  $2  for  each  five-hour 
day,  and  of  these  students  nineteen  out  of  every 
twenty  would  be  well  worth  their  hire.  Two  dol- 
lars per  day,  under  present  price  conditions,  would 
permit  of  considerable  saving.  If  $2  were  paid  for 
each  five-hour  day  beginning  with  the  fourth  school 
year,  by  the  sixth  year  the  wise  users  of  money 
could  safely  undertake  marriage,  so  far  as  money 
is  concerned,  and  if  the  young  woman  is  also  a  good 
financier,  there  would,  with  ordinary  good  fortune, 
be  enough  income  for  both  to  live  comfortably  while 
the  young  man  is  completing  his  school  course. 

Objection  may  be  made  to  this  plan  because  the 
public  works  high  school  would  not  be  an  entirely 
free  school.  It  would  be  a  free  school  as  far  as 
buildings,  equipment,  and  the  means  required  to 
put  it  on  a  self-sustaining  basis  are  concerned. 
Some  think  it  would  be  a  step  backwards  to  require 
tuition,  but  when  a  municipality  supplies  work  to 
young  people  of  sixteen  to  twenty-eight  years  of 
age  at  which  they  can  earn  sufficient  wages,  they 
ought,  in  justice,  to  pay  the  necessary  tuition.  Would 
it  not  be  wise,  if  only  for  the  moral  effect,  to  re- 
quire the  student  to  pay  tuition  ?  We  believe  that 
the  public  should  pay  the  expenses  of  operation  only 
when  it  will  not  supply  the  students  with  work. 

It  is  simply  a  physical  impossibility  for  the  ma- 


48  PUBLIC  WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

jority  of  parents  to  bear  the  expense  of  maintain- 
ing their  children  through  a  high-school  course. 
Even  the  general  public  could  not,  without  great 
hardship,  bear  the  cost  of  maintenance  for  such  a 
large  number  of  high-school  students ;  the  build- 
ing and  maintaining  of  the  increased  number  of 
schools  would  be  a  heavy  burden  for  many  tax-payers. 
It  is  evident  that  the  youth  must  earn  their  own 
maintenance,  and  this  maintenance  should  finally 
include  tuition  sufficient  for  the  operation  of  the 
schools.  When,  in  addition,  one  considers  that  the 
municipality  gives  the  student  an  opportunity  to 
support  and  educate  himself  and  that  full  self-sup- 
port is  valuable  schooling  second  to  none,  the  objec- 
tion to  tuition  is  answered. 

In  brief,  the  main  features  of  the  plan  proposed 
in  this  article  are  as  follows :  the  establishment  of 
special  high  schools ;  the  selection  of  the  best  avail- 
able students  as  employees  in  municipal  works ;  the 
arrangement  of  the  duties  in  these  works  so  as  to 
advance  the  student  in  his  occupation  by  progress- 
ive steps  and  thus  give  him  experience  in  as  many 
branches  of  the  business  as  practicable ;  the  intro- 
duction into  the  curriculum  of  each  of  these  schools 
of  a  course  that  teaches  the  operation  of  the  partic- 
ular works  employing  the  students  of  the  school ; 
as  far  as  feasible,  the  detailed  study  of  the  current 


PUBLIC  WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  49 

accounts  of  the  works  by  the  bookkeeping  classes 
of  the  schools  ;  the  requiring  of  five  hours  of  effi- 
cient labor  and  three  hours  of  satisfactory  school 
attendance,  or  such  other  division  of  time  as 
might  be  more  satisfactory ;  the  payment  of  the 
operating  expenses  of  the  schools  by  the  students  ; 
the  payment  to  the  students  of  wages  such  as  will 
a  little  more  than  cover  a  fixed  rate  of  living  and 
school  expenses,  provided  the  boys  will  fully  earn 
such  wages. 

Two  objections  that  have  been  offered  to  the 
public  works  high  school  plan,  objections  not  pre- 
viously referred  to,  are  that  the  schools  will  cause 
a  scarcity  of  laborers  to  do  the  common  work,  and 
that  general  municipal  and  other  public  ownership 
will  cause  a  loss  of  individuality,  and  a  lowering  of 
character. 

Many  believe  that  a  general  distribution  of  second- 
ary education  would  so  reduce  the  number  of  day 
laborers  that  there  would  be  too  few  to  do  the  world's 
common  work.  They  fear  that,  whenever  there  are 
relatively  few  laborers  who  are  capable  of  doing  no 
other  than  the  common  work,  general  material  pro- 
gress will  be  seriously  retarded.  Such  fears  are 
unfounded.  As  popular  intelligence  increases,  the 
wages  for  common  work  will  advance  in  relation  to 
other  wages,  and  more  inventive  power  will  be  spent 


60  PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS 

on  devices  to  perform  such  work  by  machinery.  It 
may  at  times  baffle  the  inventive  powers  of  men  to 
improve  some  of  the  more  disagreeable  occupations 
so  as  to  make  them  agreeable  ;  but  a  better  enlight- 
ened people  will  solve  future  problems  of  this  na- 
ture fully  as  well  as  we  solve  those  of  the  present 
time.  Many  who  fear  a  lack  of  common  laborers 
as  the  result  of  more  general  education  also  fear 
that  the  immigration  of  large  numbers  of  the  less 
enlightened  of  other  races  to  do  our  common  work 
would  be  encouraged.  This  encouragement  of  im- 
migration would  result  in  more  serious  race  ques- 
tions than  at  present  exist,  and  would,  in  the  end, 
no  doubt,  cause  much  unhappiness  for  ourselves 
and  for  the  foreign  races.  Large  corporations 
employ  thousands  of  laborers  from  the  Orient,  and 
individual  citizens  employ  in  the  aggregate  other 
thousands  to  do  their  common  work.  Why  should 
we  fear  that  this  condition  will  grow  worse  instead 
of  better  when  the  public  becomes  more  intelligent 
and  therefore  more  able  to  see  a  danger  in  its  true 
light? 

The  belief  is  common  that  public  ownership  of 
public  utilities  is  undesirable,  even  if  honest  and 
capable  employees  are  engaged  in  the  work.  If  pub- 
lic ownership  becomes  general,  it  is  feared  that  it 
will  endanger  our  individuality,  weaken  our  char- 


PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  51 

acter,  and  destroy  individual  effort  and  ambition. 
It  is  believed  that  the  average  man,  as  soon  as  he 
has  obtained  a  fairly  secure  position  in  public  work, 
develops  a  tendency  to  degenerate  in  character  and, 
therefore,  in  economic  worth.  Sooner  or  later  a  tend- 
ency toward  graft  develops.  Sometimes  this  graft 
extends  to  cash  or  property  transactions;  more 
often  it  is  a  matter  of  misappropriating  time,  and, 
again,  it  is  only  an  unconscious  but  gradual  re- 
duction of  the  energy  put  into  the  work.  This 
tendency  in  many  men  of  the  present  time  to  de- 
generate in  public  service  is  used  as  a  popular 
argument  against  public  ownership.  It  is,  how- 
ever, an  argument  which  the  growth  in  efficiency, 
resulting  from  institutions  like  the  public  works 
high  school,  would  soon  overcome. 

It  is  an  open  question  whether  that  which  we 
here  refer  to  as  degeneration  in  character  is  not 
merely  an  uncovering  of  previously  formed  charac- 
ter. There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  private  em- 
ployer endeavors  to  keep  a  close  watch  over  his 
employees,  whereas  the  public  employer  is  at  pre- 
sent less  vigilant.  When  an  employee  slackens  his 
energy  because  watchfulness  has  been  modified  or 
removed,  he  does  not  degenerate  in  character,  —  he 
merely  exposes  his  real  character.  Character  that 
impels  to  duty  only  under  close  watchfulness  indi- 


62  PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS 

cates  slavishness ;  is  a  worthless  type  of  character, 
and  stands  for  a  poor  kind  of  individuality.  The 
feeling  of  joint  ownership  in  municipal  works  that 
the  average  employee  would  have  under  a  system 
of  general  municipal  ownership,  would  surely  tend 
toward  higher  individuality  than  does  the  intense 
watchfulness  of  the  private  employer,  and  the  pre- 
sent feeling  of  distrust  between  employee  and  em- 
ployer. 

Desirable  individuality  implies  good  character 
and  ambition,  and  we  shall  use  the  word  individu- 
ality in  this  sense.  Since  it  is  our  differing  indi- 
vidualities that  make  life  progressive  and  interest- 
ing, the  development  of  individuality  should  be 
fostered.  The  greatest  field  for  this  development 
is  among  the  less  educated  workers  who  are  willing, 
or  who  can  be  taught  to  be  willing,  to  earn  a  high 
school  education.  In  order  to  make  such  an  educa- 
tion possible,  the  young  workers,  while  attending 
school,  must  have  steady  employment  and  just  re- 
muneration. Municipal  and  other  public  ownership, 
properly  conducted,  is  the  only  plan  now  in  view 
that  could  supply  employment  to  these  young  work- 
ing students. 

Because  of  weakness  of  character,  the  man  of 
the  present  time  has  not  always  given  efficient  serv- 
ice in  municipal  works.  As  at  present  conducted, 


PUBLIC  WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  53 

employment  in  many  municipal  works  does  not  of- 
fer enough  personal  incentive  ;  the  business  is  not 
given  enough  publicity,  and  the  public  is  too  indif- 
ferent. In  order  that  municipal  ownership  may 
meet  with  the  greatest  success,  men  must  be  em- 
ployed who  are  above  the  present  average  in  char- 
acter ;  more  personal  incentive  must  be  introduced ; 
the  business  must  be  given  greater  publicity  ;  and 
the  public  must  grow  more  interested  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  works. 

All  this,  we  believe,  could  be  brought  about  by 
means  of  the  public  works  high  school.  The  stu- 
dents would  invariably  be  young  men  who  desire  a 
high  school  education,  who  are  willing  to  work 
for  it  and  who  are  capable  of  maintaining  a  good 
standing  in  school.  These  qualifications  would  ex- 
clude most  of  those  who  are  unfit  for  service  in 
municipal  works.  The  students  in  public  works 
high  schools  would  be  young  and  hopeful  men ; 
they  would  have  good  records  to  make,  both  in  the 
school  and  in  the  works,  and  their  object  in  the 
works  would  be  not  only  to  earn  wages,  but  also 
to  learn  thoroughly  a  manufacturing  business  and 
general  business  methods.  Without  a  good  record, 
they  would  not  be  sought  by  employers,  public  or 
private.  Students  would  have  no  life  positions  in 
the  works ;  their  positions  would  be  subject  to  effi- 


64  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

ciency,  and  would  ordinarily  last  but  eight  half-years. 
Through  the  school,  the  operation  of  the  municipal 
works  would  be  given  the  greatest  possible  pub- 
licity. As  more  and  more  of  the  needs  of  the  indi- 
vidual were  met  through  municipal  works,  the 
public  would  become  so  vitally  affected  by  the 
operation  of  these  works  that  the  keenest  interest 
would  inevitably  follow.  The  periodical  financial 
reports  of  public  works,  made  with  the  aid  of  the 
public  works  high  school  for  the  purpose  of  com- 
parative study,  would  act  as  one  means  of  pre- 
venting stagnation  in  these  works.  One  of  our  best 
known  political  economists  says,  "  Young  people 
have  a  keener  sense  of  right  and  justice  and  a 
sharper  scent  for  graft  or  '  pull '  than  have  their 
elders." 

Before  the  first  class  had  graduated  from  the 
public  works  high  school,  students,  by  reason  of 
their  moral  development,  would  consider  it  unjust 
to  shirk  a  duty.  Although  the  laziness  of  the  few 
might  increase  the  cost  of  living  for  all  others  only 
to  a  slight  degree,  the  spirit  of  fair  play  and  the 
dislike  of  being  imposed  upon  would  quickly  arouse 
the  resentment  of  the  manly  students  and  of  the 
educated  and  interested  public.  No  industrial  de- 
linquent would  be  tolerated,  for  fear  that  the  effect 
of  such  toleration  would  endanger  the  permanency 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  55 

of  municipal  ownership,  and  the  consequent  pro- 
spect of  a  more  equitable  distribution  of  education 
and  of  wealth.  The  student  would  understand  that 
the  first  requirement  on  his  part  to  aid  in  the  ex- 
termination of  the  shirker  class  would  be  to  avoid 
being  a  shirker  himself.  In  short,  the  pupils 
admitted  into  the  public  works  high  school  would 
soon  develop  such  self-respect  and  strength  of 
character  that  eventually  there  would  be  no 
shirkers  in  the  works.  These  students  would  under- 
stand that  every  lazy  and  unscrupulous  act  would 
be  an  act  of  treason  in  peace,  which  is  virtually  the 
same  as  treason  in  war.  The  students,  especially 
the  older  ones,  would  understand  all  these  things 
so  clearly  that  right  conduct  on  their  part  would 
be  inevitable.  That  student  is  rare  who  will  do  a 
wrong  act  if  he  clearly  sees  what  is  right,  and  at 
the  same  time  can  picture  and  compare  a  train  of 
probable  consequences  of  the  wrong  act  and  of  the 
right  one.  This  ability  would  be  strongly  developed 
in  most  young  men  by  a  public  works  high  school 
course. 

In  order  to  arrive  at  the  best  results  sooner  than 
could  otherwise  be  expected,  some  kind  of  regular 
course  in  moral  instruction  should  be  introduced 
into  all  elementary  grades.  Jane  Brownlee's  plan 
for  moral  training  as  developed  in  one  of  the  To- 


66  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

ledo  public  schools  is,  without  question,  most  valu- 
able.^ This  moral  training  requires  a  few  minutes 
daily,  but  it  is  reported  as  saving  more  time  than  it 
requires,  as  it  leads  to  readier  obedience  among  the 
pupils  and  to  greater  efficiency  in  their  work.  By 
the  end  of  the  eighth  grade,  all  moral  training 
in  the  schools  should  be  so  effectual  as  to  result  in 
unquestioned  civic  honor. 

The  largest  proportion  of  selected  students 
would  stand  for  individuality  and  ambition.  No 
other  incentive  to  do  duty  other  than  fair  compen- 
sation would  be  required.  Individuality  and  happi- 
ness with  such  students  would  not  be  based  on  how 
much  municipal  work  could  be  shirked,  nor  on  how 
much  more  than  deserved  wages  could  be  obtained. 
These  students  would  prefer  to  be  strong,  quick  of 
perception,  well  informed,  highly  proficient  and 
respected  men,  rather  than  to  be  rich  men  of  medi- 
ocre character.  Wealth,  beyond  the  needs  of  pre- 
sent usefulness  and  comfort  with  a  modest  reserve 
for  old  age,  would  be  less  prized  by  such  men.  Un- 
necessary wealth  would  seem  of  less  consequence 
than  exceptional  efficiency  in  some  field  of  activity. 
This  is  true  at  present  of  some  of  our  strongest 

1  Jane  Brownlee's  system  of  moral  training  is  explained  in  a 
pamphlet  entitled  The  Brownlee  System  of  Child  Training,  which 
can  be  obtained  from  G.  W.  Holden,  Springfield,  Mass.  Price  ten 
cents. 


PUBLIC  WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  57 

professional  men.  Most  of  us  have  heard  that 
Agassiz,  when  offered  ten  thousand  dollars  for  a 
course  of  lectures,  exclaimed  in  surprise  at  the 
offer,  "  I  have  n't  time  to  make  money! "  There  are 
but  few  like  Agassiz  in  this  respect,  but  a  second- 
ary education,  more  generally  distributed,  would 
tend  to  raise  the  standard  of  manhood  above  that 
of  mere  money-making.  The  result  would  be 
stronger  individuality,  better  character,  and  more 
earnest  citizenship. 

Every  hour  of  industrial  activity,  whether  per- 
formed for  one's  self,  for  others,  or  for  the  public, 
affects  individuality  and  character;  every  hour 
spent  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  social  inter- 
course, or  any  other  pleasure,  does  likewise.  In 
devising  a  plan  to  promote  individuality  and  char- 
acter, all  of  these  forms  of  activity  must  be  taken 
into  consideration.  To  consider  the  effect  of  the 
industrial  part  of  any  plan  of  life,  without  taking 
into  account  the  equally  important  effects  of  other 
activities  on  individuality  and  character,  would  re- 
sult in  incorrect  conclusions.  Secondary  education, 
if  thoroughly  assimilated,  would  tend  to  make  men 
more  nearly  of  the  same  intellectual  and  economic 
value,  —  a  value  higher  than  at  present,  —  and  it 
would  follow  as  a  natural  consequence,  and  justly  so, 
that  there  would  be  a  readjustment  of  individual 


68  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

earnings.  Two  persons  may  be  of  approximately  the 
same  economic  and  social  value,  and  yet  be  units  of 
entirely  different  natures  ;  in  other  words,  they  may 
have  strikingly  different  individualities.  Knowledge 
is  as  boundless  as  nature,  and  it  is  knowledge  that 
largely  differentiates  individuality.  Even  those  who 
accumulate  knowledge  to  the  limit  of  human  ca- 
pacity learn  only  an  infinitesimal  part  of  all  there 
is  to  know.  We  start  in  the  world  unhke,  seeking 
different  knowledge,  seeking  it  in  different  ways, 
and  under  different  circumstances.  Two  persons 
would  rarely  accumulate,  even  approximately,  a  like 
store  of  knowledge.  It  therefore  follows  that  the 
more  we  know,  the  more  our  individualities  are 
differentiated ;  the  less  we  know,  the  nearer  alike 
we  are.  The  individuality  that  might  be  lost  by 
reason  of  municipal  ownership  continued  along  the 
present  lines,  if  this  ownership  is  as  detrimental  to 
individuality  as  is  maintained  by  some,  would  be 
more  than  regained  through  a  public  works  high 
school  education.  But  municipal  ownership  with 
workers  that  are  self-supporting  students  would  be 
a  builder  instead  of  a  destroyer  of  character,  and 
strength  of  character  is  an  expression  of  more 
marked  individuality. 

Can  a  person  who  has  conscientiously  educated 
himself  by  eight   years  of   effort  ever  lose   indi- 


PUBLIC   WOKKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  59 

viduality  or  ever  stop  its  expression  ?  Surely  not,  so 
long  as  he  can  supply  his  material  needs  by  five  or 
even  eight  hours  of  daily  labor,  and  thus  leave  from 
sixteen  to  nineteen  free  hours  in  which  to  exercise 
his  individuality  without  restriction.  When  our  in- 
dustrial methods  are  less  wasteful  and  when  the 
products  of  labor  are  more  equitably  distributed, 
five  fully  occupied  hours  of  energetic  and  intelligent 
work  in  store,  office,  or  factory,  together  with  work 
at  home  for  personal  needs,  will  furnish  ample  means. 
Whatever  increases  our  free  hours  increases  the 
opportunity  to  develop  our  individuality. 

Let  us  picture  a  possible  extension  of  municipal 
ownership  due  to  the  effects  of  public  works  high 
schools,  and  the  influence  of  such  extended  owner- 
ship on  individuality.  After  ten  years  of  trial,  a 
public  works  high  school  experiment  may  prove  to 
be  a  success.  If  it  does  so  prove,  a  limited  number 
of  cities  may  make  a  trial  of  the  plan,  and,  if  these 
trials  prove  successful,  the  plan  may  be  so  widely 
adopted  that  in  the  course  of  fifty  years  municipal 
ownership  in  connection  with  these  schools  may  be- 
come quite  general.  Should  municipal  ownership,  so 
conducted,  become  general,  it  would  follow  that  the 
students  would  no  longer  be  numerically  sufficient 
to  man  the  works.  It  would  then  be  necessary  to 
permit  the  students  to  remain  in  the  employ  of  the 


60  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

works  after  graduating.*  It  no  doubt  would  be  safe 
to  extend  the  field  of  municipal  industry  as  long  as 
either  students  or  graduates  of  the  public  works 
high  school  are  available  as  employees.  If  in  the 
future  fifty  per  cent  of  all  workers  were  employed 
in  municipal  works,  would  our  individuality,  our 
character,  our  effort,  or  our  ambition  suffer?  In 
answer  we  shall  assume  the  following  to  be  the 
experience  of  two  young  men,  A  and  B,  living  in 
an  era  of  general  municipal  ownership  and  public 
works  high  schools. 

We  will  suppose  that  A  is  graduated  from  the 
tenth  and  B  from  the  twelfth  grade  of  the  public 
works  school  in  the  year  1940.  There  is  at  that  time 
a  demand  for  employees  in  the  municipal  works  far 
beyond  that  which  the  school  can  supply,  so  both 
A  and  B  take  the  municipal  service  examinations. 
A  passes  an  examination  as  ordinary  accountant, 
and  this  examination  entitles  him  to  a  choice  of  a 
number  of  positions  in  industries  operated  by  the 
municipalities.  B  passes  as  general  expert  account- 
ant and  Master  of  Gas  Making,  which  entitles  him 
to  a  situation  as  chief  bookkeeper  in  any  municipal 

^  The  plan  for  the  public  works  high  school  provides  that  no 
graduate  shall  be  employed  in  the  municipal  works,  unless  special 
fitness  adapts  him  to  one  of  the  few  positions  which  are  of  neces- 
sity permanent,  or  unless  there  is  a  demand  for  workers  beyond 
that  which  the  school  can  supply  with  its  undergraduate*. 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  61 

office,  or  as  manager  of  municipal  gas  works ;  his 
examination  also  entitles  him  to  simpler  work, 
should  there  be  no  higher  position  available. 

Let  us  follow  A.  He  prefers  work  as  a  book- 
keeper, so  he  goes  to  the  State  Employment  Office^ 
and  learns  that  no  bookkeeping  situation  is  available 
in  the  city  in  which  he  wishes  to  live,  but  he  is  told 
of  a  temporary  position  as  a  copyist ;  this  position 
he  accepts,  but  he  leaves  his  application  for  a  posi- 
tion as  bookkeeper.  After  a  month  the  Employment 
Office  notifies  A  that  a  situation  as  bookkeeper  is 
now  available.  He  accepts  the  position,  but  after 
three  months'  trial  by  the  chief  accountant,  he  is 
found  unsatisfactory  and  is  reported  to  the  Oper- 
ating Committee.^  This  committee  finds  A's  work 
imsatisfactory,  and  he  is  discharged. 

^  The  State  Employment  OfiBce  could  be  so  serviceable  that 
no  one,  except  in  rare  instances,  need  be  out  of  suitable  employ- 
ment more  than  one  day  at  a  time.  This  office  could  also  under- 
take to  help  those  who  desire  to  change  their  occupations.  Some 
might  wish  to  learn  the  particulars  of  another  line  of  work ;  for 
others,  a  consideration  of  health  or  strength  might  make  a  change 
of  employment  desirable ;  in  other  cases  a  mere  feeling  of  rest- 
lessness might  result  in  a  desire  for  change.  No  one  would  be 
forced  to  do  any  work,  except  as  necessity  demanded  ;  but  in  the 
field  of  municipal  work  he  would  have  to  take  his  choice  out  of 
such  available  positions  as  his  municipal  service  standing  would 
warrant  his  holding. 

^  The  Operating  Committee  under  this  system  might  be  com- 
posed of  three  or  more  members,  and  every  municipal  enterprise 
might  be  supplied  with  such   a  committee.    It  would   be   the 


62  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

A  then  visits  the  Employment  Office  again,  and 
learns  that  he  can  at  once  find  work  as  clerk  in 
a  municipal  dairy.  He  can  do  this  work  satisfac- 
torily, and  it  suits  him  ;  so  he  holds  the  position 
during  the  remainder  of  his  active  life.  In  1943, 
however,  the  general  manager  charges  A  with  care- 
lessness in  his  work,  and  with  failure  to  render 
a  reasonable  amount  of  service.  The  Operating 
Committee  examines  the  case,  and  charges  A  with 
neglect  of  duty.  A  has  a  right  to  appeal  his  case 
to  the  Appeal  Committee.  *  He  does  this,  but  again 
loses.  As  punishment,  he  is  suspended  from  work 
for  three  months.  As  he  has  saved  no  money,  he  is 
compelled  to  go  from  house  to  house  to  solicit  work 
until  his  sentence  expires. 

duty  of  this  committee  to  publish  bi-monthly  reports  of  the  busi- 
ness ;  to  see  that  employees  render  reasonable  service  ;  to  decide 
internal  disputes  affecting  the  operation  of  the  works  ;  and,  •wher- 
ever possible,  to  cheapen  production.  The  manager  of  the  works 
might  be  chairman  of  this  committee. 

^  The  duty  of  this  supposed  Appeal  Committee  would  be  to 
examine  and  to  decide  all  appealed  cases  of  employees  charged 
with  rendering  poor  service.  Each  Appeal  Committee  would  have 
jurisdiction  over  a  number  of  municipal  works,  would  virtually 
be  a  court,  and  would  rarely  be  called  into  service.  Its  principal 
use  would  be  to  enable  any  man  who  believed  himself  mis- 
treated or  misunderstood  to  vindicate  himself.  The  knowledge 
coming  from  considerable  experience  might  be  required  to  pro- 
duce a  harmonious  working  between  managers  and  both  the 
Operating  and  Appeal  Committees,  but  final  results  would  justify 
the  existence  of  thpoA  c^nmmittees. 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  63 

In  1945  A  decides  to  marry,  and  j5nds  work  in 
addition  to  that  of  bis  regular  employment.  This 
extra  work  ^  he  does  in  order  to  furnish  a  home.  He 
takes  the  required  examination  preliminary  to  mar- 
riage,2  but  fails  in  some  point  of  bodily  development, 
and  in  a  knowledge  of  the  foundation  principles  of 
physiology  and  ethics.  He  remedies  his  bodily  de- 
fect, informs  himself  upon  the  subjects  of  physiology 
and  ethics,  and  in  1946  he  marries.  He  takes  out 
the  minimum  amount  of  old  age  and  life  insurance 
required  by  law  for  a  married  man.  Had  he  per- 
sisted in  the  work  of  assistant  bookkeeper  and  suc- 
ceeded, he  would  have  been  entitled  to  $3.50  per 
day  of  five  hours.  His  work  as  dairy  clerk  yields 
him  $3  per  day  of  the  same  number  of  hours.  A 
is  not  so  vigorous  as  B ;  therefore  A  requires  ten 

^  The  question  of  the  legal  length  of  work  day  ■would  be  largely 
eliminated.  There  would  no  longer  be  that  feverish  hurry  to  ac- 
cumulate money  for  future  emergencies  and  for  old  age  because 
men  would  have  the  certainty  of  employment,  the  protection  of 
state  life  insurance,  and  the  possible  self-support  of  all  children 
over  sixteen  years  of  age.  This  condition  would  result  in  fewer 
men  working  over-time  except  for  special  purposes,  and  there 
would  be  plenty  of  extra  work  on  hand  to  supply  such  cases.  The 
State  Employment  Office  would  be  expected  to  see  that  every 
man  is  given  not  only  work  for  the  usual  number  of  hours  daily, 
but  for  as  many  additional  hours  as  he  may  desire. 

2  We  here  assume  that  a  marriage  law  compelling  such  exam- 
ination has  been  passed ;  and  that  old  age  and  life  insurance  poli- 
cies are  required. 


64  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

hours  of  sleep  each  day,  while  B  requires  only  seven 
hours.  Here  A,  as  compared  with  B,  loses  three 
hours  of  activity  daily.  A  smokes  inveterately, 
drinks  moderately,  and  cannot  resist  spending 
money  frivolously.  He  saves  no  money,  and  in  1950 
he  is  obliged  to  borrow  money  in  order  to  tide  his 
family  over  a  time  of  sickness ;  this  debt  he  pays 
during  the  year  by  again  doing  work  beyond  the 
customary  length  of  the  work  day. 

As  stated  before,  B  passes  the  municipal  serv- 
ice examination  in  1940,  and  makes  an  excellent 
record.  After  a  short  trial  he  is  given  a  situation 
as  chief  bookkeeper  in  a  municipal  gas  works.  In 
1942  he  is  elected  manager  of  a  new  and  larger 
works  built  in  another  city.  He  enjoys  his  work, 
and  keeps  informed  on  all  changes  in  the  business ; 
he  also  invents  several  useful  improvements.  By 
1946  B  is  well  known  and  well  liked  by  all  the  mu- 
nicipal works  managers  of  the  state ;  and,  through 
their  recommendation,  he  is  elected  to  the  State 
Public  Works  Board. ^  In  1948  he  is  elected 
chairman  of  this  board.  His  first  position  in  1940 
entitled  him  to  a  salary  of  $4  per  day  ;  his  last 

^  This  supposed  State  Public  Works  Board  could  be  composed 
of  fifteen  members,  one  of  whom  is  the  governor  of  the  state, 
and  ten  of  whom  are  managers  of  municipal  works.  The  duty  of 
this  board  could  be  the  furthering-  of  municipal  works  and  the 
improving  of  the  laws  affecting  such  works. 


PUBLIC  WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  65 

position  yields  him  820  daily.  In  1949  B  passes 
the  marriage  examination,  and  marries.  He  takes 
five  times  the  minimum  amount  of  old  age  and  life 
insurance.  By  this  time  he  has  saved  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollars,  with  part  of  which  he  builds  and  fur- 
nishes a  good  home.  By  1955  he  has  three  children. 
He  is  not  harassed  by  any  unreasonably  hard  and 
exhausting  business  struggle,  such  as  was  the  lot  of 
many  business  men  when  competition  was  so  keen 
that  a  man's  time  was  entirely  engrossed  by  his 
business.  B  is  an  active  member  of  a  social  club 
established  for  scientific  research ;  he  is  also  active 
in  a  political  organization,  in  a  national  gas  mana- 
ger's association,  and  in  a  number  of  other  volun- 
tary organizations. 

B  not  only  finds  time  to  continue  his  education, 
but  also  to  aid  his  wife  in  the  proper  training  of 
their  children.  The  average  old-time  business  man 
lacked  ripeness  of  education,  and  often  the  abil- 
ity to  rear  children  properly.  B  is  well  informed 
on  the  economic  history  of  the  previous  hundred 
years,  and  he  is  glad  that  old  conditions  no  longer 
exist.  Should  his  eighteen-year-old  son  read  a  his- 
torical novel  the  time  of  which  extends  from  1875 
to  1900,  and  ask  his  father  to  explain  the  changes 
that  had  taken  place  in  economic  conditions  since 
that  time,  his  reply  might  be  much  as  follows :  — 


60  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

"  At  the  time  of  the  story  you  were  reading  there 
was  a  popuhir  saying,  '  Competition  is  the  life  of 
trade.'  Competition  had  been  the  life  of  trade,  but 
the  facilities  for  industrial  production  and  com- 
merce had  improved  to  such  an  extent  as  to  make 
possible  great  concentration  into  large  and  finan- 
cially powerful  business  units.  This  concentration 
made  possible  greater  individual  reward  to  employ- 
ers for  industrial  and  commercial  success.  Under 
conditions  making  this  great  concentration  and  ex- 
cessive individual  reward  possible,  competition  be- 
came fierce,  and  proved  costly  and  even  disastrous. 
At  this  time,  competition  always  resulted  either  in 
a  combination  of  the  warring  parties,  or  in  a  death 
struggle  for  supremacy.  In  either  case,  the  prices 
of  the  products  involved  were  very  likely  to  be 
advanced  for  the  purpose  of  exploiting  the  public. 
The  usual  run  of  men  virtually  lost  their  judg- 
ment when  competition  was  destroyed  and  unusual 
profits  were  within  reach.  The  managers  of  these 
combinations,  with  some  exceptions,  proved  to  be 
avaricious.  In  some  way  they  conceived  the  idea 
that  it  was  none  of  the  public's  business  how  much 
it  had  to  pay  for  freight,  passenger  service,  water, 
gas,  electricity,  meat,  flour,  and  other  necessities. 
The  public,  however,  thought  differently,  and  made 
stringent  laws  which  in  time  resulted  in  the  strict- 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  67 

est  public  supervision  and  control  of  privately 
owned  public  utilities.  Public  supervision  and  con- 
trol became  continually  more  exacting,  until  it 
approximated  public  ownership. 

"  In  granting  a  franchise,  the  public  usually  re- 
served the  right  to  purchase  the  privately  owned 
public  utility  business  at  the  end  of  twenty-five 
years,  or  at  the  end  of  every  ten-year  period  tliere- 
after.  The  public  also  guaranteed  a  small  profit, 
and  set  a  figure  for  a  maximum  profit.  All  excess 
over  this  maximum  profit  was  turned  over  to  the 
Public  Utilities  Fund.  Contrary  to  expectation, 
it  became  popular  with  the  private  corporations  to 
have  a  surplus  over  this  profit.  This  Public  Util- 
ities Fund  was  introduced  into  many  cities  about 
1920.  In  these  cities  the  public  industries  existing 
at  the  time  of  the  starting  of  the  fund  were  re- 
quired to  pay  into  this  fund  annually,  for  thirty- 
three  years,  three  per  cent  of  their  estimated 
value  after  deducting  unpaid  bonds.  In  some 
cases  the  prices  of  the  products  had  to  be  in- 
creased slightly  to  meet  this  requirement.  The 
fund  was  designed  solely  to  build  additional  pub- 
lic industries  on  a  cash  basis.  For  a  time  much 
money  had  to  be  added  to  this  fund  by  direct 
taxation ;  now,  however,  the  four  per  cent  install- 
ments required  to  be  paid  into  the  fund  annually 


68  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

by  new  works  meet  all  demands  for  further  con- 
struction. 

"  The  public  also  reserved  the  right,  on  due  notice, 
to  alter  the  rate  of  charges,  always,  however,  mak- 
ing good  any  shortage  below  the  fixed  minimum  of 
profit.  The  minimum  annual  profit  was  commonly 
fixed  at  two  per  cent  and  rhe  maximum  at  fifteen 
per  cent.  Interest  on  capital  invested  was  not  al- 
lowed. As  the  conditions  in  any  public  industry 
changed,  the  rate  of  charges  was  changed  as  nearly 
as  possible  to  correspond.  The  aim  ordinarily  was 
to  aUow  eight  per  cent  net  profit  for  average  ability 
in  the  operation  of  public  utility  enterprises.  The 
rule  providing  a  minimum  profit  of  two  per  cent 
annually  was  intended  as  a  protection  to  private 
owners  against  possible  losses  that  might  accrue  as 
the  result  of  the  introduction  of  new  inventions 
which  would  throw  established  plants  into  disuse. 
The  rule  of  a  low  minimum  profit,  together  with 
the  extensive  public  supervision  and  control,  fairly 
protected  the  public  against  the  possibility  of  pri- 
vate owners'  building  plants  which  were  uncertain 
as  to  permanency. 

"  This  public  supervision  of  privately  owned  pub- 
lic utilities  was  not  wholly  satisfactory.  The  matter 
of  fixing  the  amount  of  profit  often  had  to  be  car- 
ried to  the  courts,  and  the  decision  was  frequently 


PUBLIC   WOKKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS  69 

unfair  because  graft,  to  a  certain  extent,  still  existed 
and  influenced  the  testimony.  By  1925  all  states 
had  passed  laws  requiring  that  each  publicly  owned 
enterprise  must  establish  such  prices  for  its  product 
as  would  make  the  business  entirely  seK-supporting. 
These  laws  also  required  that  aU  money  for  the 
construction  of  municipal  works  must,  in  gradually 
increasing  proportions,  come  from  the  Public 
Utilities  Fund  ;  and  that  all  construction  money 
must  be  returned  to  this  fund,  without  interest,  in 
annual  installments  of  four  per  cent  of  the  original 
cost  of  the  works. 

"Opposition  to  public  ownership  gave  way  by 
degrees.  It  was  believed  by  many  that  municipal 
ownership  weakened  the  character  of  the  average 
man  employed  in  the  works.  Gradually,  it  became 
apparent  that  those  works  in  which  self-supporting 
students  were  employed  succeeded  well.  The  works 
came  to  be  regarded  as  a  means  for  instructing  these 
students  in  business  methods,  and  as  a  place  for 
them  to  establish  their  reputations  for  later  life; 
so  in  time  municipal  works  were  regarded  as  builders 
of  character. 

"  In  the  year  1920  it  became  the  general  prac- 
tice to  employ  only  students  in  the  works,  except 
in  the  limited  number  of  permanent  positions.  In 
1925,  owing  to  the  increase  in  the  number  of  mu- 


70  PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH   SCHOOLS 

nicipal  works,  graduates  were  allowed  to  fill  twenty 
per  cent  of  the  positions  in  these  enterprises,  and 
this  percentage  was  increased  until,  in  1940,  seventy 
per  cent  of  graduates  were  employed ;  but  in  no  case 
were  they  employed  where  student  labor  was  avail- 
able. This  restriction  was  deemed  wise  as  a  check 
to  the  too  rapid  increase  of  municipal  ownership. 
A  limited  number  of  men  like  A,  who  had  left  the 
school  before  graduating,  but  who  succeeded  in 
passing  the  required  municipal  service  examinations, 
were  employed  in  the  more  common  positions  when- 
ever neither  students  nor  graduates  could  be  se- 
cured. 

"  As  experience  grew,  the  municipal  service  ex- 
aminations became  more  exacting  and  more  prac- 
tical, so  that  eventually  the  standing  made  by  the 
individual  was  a  fair  index  of  his  ability  and  of  his 
common  sen  se.  All  graduate  employees  were  then,  as 
now,  considered  out  of  employment  every  five  years, 
and  were  obliged  to  take  additional  examinations. 
These  quinquennial  examinations  could  then,  as 
now,  be  taken  by  any  public  works  high  school 
graduate  whether  or  not  he  had  been  employed  in 
the  works  giving  the  examination.  Those  standing 
highest  were  given  the  positions,  with  the  exception 
that  former  employees  were  given  the  advantage  of 
a  few  points.  The  workers  who  were  superseded  by 


PUBLIC   WORKS  HIGH  SCHOOLS  71 

the  ones  making  a  better  standing  readily  found 
other  work  through  the  State  Employment  Office. 
The  general  public  was  imbued  ^vith  the  idea  that 
progress  depended  upon  every  man's  filling  the  place 
to  which  he  was  best  suited. 

"Now,  as  you  know,  every  law  and  every  prac- 
tice is  established  with  a  view  to  encourage  indi- 
viduality, ambition,  and  efficiency.  The  more  equit- 
able adjustment  of  wages,  and  the  increased  oppor- 
tunity for  secondary  education,  have  been  important 
factors  in  the  social  and  economic  progress  of  this 
century." 

These  changes  in  economic  conditions  since  1900 
that  B  explained  to  his  son  are  the  possible  results 
of  general  municipal  ownership.  Under  this  sys- 
tem the  majority  of  voters  might  decide  to  fix  wages 
too  nearly  alike  for  all,  just  as  A's  and  B's  wages 
were  made  to  approximate  rather  closely,  as  com- 
pared with  present  standards,  considering  the  nature 
of  the  services  rendered  by  each.  If  such  a  wage  sys- 
tem for  municipal  workers  should  be  estabhshed,  we 
could  console  ourselves  with  the  fact  that,  with 
public  works  schools,  the  shirker  would  be  quickly 
discovered.  By  reason  of  a  more  general  distribu- 
tion of  thorough  secondary  education,  intellectual 
and  industrial  worth  will  be  more  general ;  and  the 


72  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS 

average  earnings  will  be  larger.  The  desire  of 
most  men  to  do  the  work  that  requires  all  their 
training,  knowledge,  and  reasoning  powers  would 
tend  toward  the  equalization  of  wages.  For  instance, 
the  capable  carpenter  would  rather  do  the  work  in 
a  fine  public  structure  at  $4  per  day  than  to  build 
barns  at  the  same  wages.  The  capable  manager 
would  rather  manage  a  large  municipal  electric  light 
plant  at  $20  per  day  than,  at  equal  wages,  spend  all 
his  working  hours  in  reading  the  consumer's  meters. 
It  is  apparent  that  a  more  general  education, 
through  which  a  larger  number  of  men  are  trained 
to  do  the  finer  and  more  difficult  work,  tends  to 
lessen  the  difference  between  the  wages  received 
for  the  common  and  coarser  work,  and  those  re- 
ceived for  the  finer  and  more  difficult  work.  The 
greater  desirability  of  any  certain  employment  will 
largely  constitute  the  greater  reward.  As  there  will 
be  few  positions  with  extremely  high  wages,  men 
and  women  wiU  choose  occupations  to  which  they 
are  naturally  adapted,  and  efficiency  will  thus  be 
increased. 

It  is  highly  improbable  that  wages  will  ever  be 
arbitrarily  equalized ;  but  even  in  the  event  of  such 
equalization,  B,  for  example,  would  not  be  discour- 
aged, though  he  might  be  a  trifle  handicapped,  if 
he  did  not  receive  the  wages  he  deserves  as  com- 


PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  73 

pared  with  the  wages  A  receives  for  less  valuable 
services.  A's  and  B's  regular  work  day,  as  before 
stated,  would  be  five  hours  each  ;  this  would  leave 
nineteen  free  hours  for  each  to  use  as  be  sees  fit. 
As  previously  stated,  B  requires  seven  hours  of 
sleep,  while  A  requires  ten  hours.  The  remaining 
hours  each  could  spend  in  such  activity  as  he  pleased, 
and  out  of  these  hours  each  would  reap  according 
to  what  he  sowed,  and  would  reap  the  entire  pro- 
duet.  Because  of  the  difference  in  the  ability  and 
character  of  the  men,  B  would  obtain  many  times 
as  much  good  out  of  his  twelve  free  waking  hours 
as  A  would  obtain  out  of  his  nine  corresponding 
hours.  Out  of  these  free  hours  each  man  would  re- 
ceive all  he  creates ;  he  could  use  his  individuality 
without  limit,  and  no  one  else,  as  a  matter  of  law 
or  of  custom,  would  receive  the  reward  of  the  labor 
of  these  free  hours.  What  one  could  do  for  himself 
in  each  free  hour  is  quite  as  valuable  as  the  best 
he  could  do  for  himself  in  each  regular  work  hour, 
and  is  much  more  valuable  than  that  done  in  any 
work  hour  spent  in  the  mere  accumulation  of  un- 
necessary wealth. 

If,  in  the  course  of  time,  the  fixing  of  wages 
should  become  a  public  office,  a  community  as  in- 
telligent as  the  public  works  high  schools  would 
make  it,  would  undoubtedly  fix  a  varying  remun- 


74  PUBLIC   WORKS   HIGH   SCHOOLS 

eration  for  its  different  classes  of  work,  and  this 
remuneration  would  be  on  a  just  and  practical  basis 
which  would  encourage  healthy  ambition.  Should 
there  develop  a  social  and  economic  condition  under 
which  a  most  capable  man  could  not  reasonably  ex- 
pect to  accumulate  an  abnormal  fortune,  as  is  pos- 
sible to-day,  the  incentive  to  accumulate  the  maxi- 
mum fortune  that  the  economic  conditions  would 
permit  would  still  be  as  effective  a  stimulant  to 
this  ambition,  as  that  which  exists  to-day  when 
conditions  permit  of  vast  accumulation  of  wealth. 

Under  general  municipal  ownership  and  general 
secondary  education,  two  lives  of  municipal  work- 
ers as  different  as  the  lives  of  A  and  B  would  be 
easily  possible.  So  great  a  difference,  however, 
would  be  less  common  than  it  is  at  present,  and 
more  lives  would  be  like  that  of  B.  The  A's  and 
B's  would,  as  now,  be  living  examples  of  what  can 
be  avoided  and  what  gained  by  the  right  kind  of 
effort.  The  probable  result  of  such  effort  would  be 
incentive  enough  to  inspire  improvement  in  char- 
acter and  in  worthy  ambition,  quite  regardless  of 
the  question  of  earnings.  We  have  even  more  ex- 
treme examples  before  us  now  than  those  of  the 
lives  of  A  and  B,  but  we  are  too  deficient  in  true 
secondary  education  and  corresponding  character 
to  profit  adequately  by  these  examples. 


PUBLIC   WOKKS   HIGH  SCHOOLS  75 

When  privately  owned  industries  grow  so  large 
and  powerful  as  to  partake  of  the  nature  of  mono- 
polies, the  responsible  positions  are  sometimes  given 
to  friends  and  relatives  of  the  owners,  regardless 
of  the  fitness  of  these  persons  to  fill  such  positions. 
This  nepotism  takes  away  from  many  better  minds 
the  opportunity  to  develop  individuality  in  indus- 
trial fields,  and  thus  creates  a  condition  which  is 
fully  as  inimical  to  the  development  of  individual- 
ity in  both  managers  and  laborers  as  are  the  con- 
ditions which  are  said  to  exist  under  municipal 
ownership  at  the  present  time. 

Taking  these  several  points  into  consideration, 
it  does  not  seem  probable  that  even  the  keenest 
minds  in  the  field  of  public  utilities  would  be 
retarded  by  a  gradual  introduction  of  municipal 
ownership.  The  field  of  private  industry  will  still 
exist  for  those  who  prefer  it ;  but  to  insure  success, 
private  industry  will  require  greater  efficiency  than 
at  present. 

Again,  we  wish  to  say  that  with  a  thorough  sys- 
tem of  high-school  education,  the  national  character 
will  be  strengthened.  This  stronger  national  char- 
acter will  not  lead  to  an  undesirable  uniformity  of 
thought.  On  the  contrary,  it  will  give  free  play  to 
individual  talents,  and  will  lead  to  their  full  ex- 
pression. 


76  PUBLIC   WORKS  fflGH  SCHOOLS 

By  the  middle  of  this  century  our  struggle  for 
wealth  will  no  longer  be  a  matter  of  life-consuming 
battles,  and  the  questionable  development  which 
results  from  such  battles  may  have  largely  dis- 
appeared. The  hard  and  unfair  struggles  of  in- 
dustrial and  commercial  competition  will  be  of  less 
and  less  value  as  thorough  secondary  education  be- 
comes more  nearly  universal.  These  struggles  will 
be  displaced  by  a  finer,  but  no  less  difficult  effort,  — 
the  effort  to  deserve  and  to  receive  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  one's  fellow  men.  Under  these  new 
conditions  we  shall  have  time  to  give  more  atten- 
tion to  our  health ;  time  to  gain  a  broader  and 
more  even  development  of  our  minds ;  time  to  de- 
vote to  the  better  training  of  our  children ;  and 
time  to  spare  for  the  happiness  of  others.  These 
gains  will  result  in  a  stronger  individuality. 


MANUFACTURING  WORKS  HIGH 
SCHOOLS^ 

Progress,  material,  intellectual,  and  spiritual,  de- 
pends upon  the  health  of  the  individual,  upon  his 
memory,  his  power  to  reason,  and  his  accumulation 
of  interesting  and  valuable  knowledge.  It  is  the 
generally  accepted  belief  that  the  reform  agencies 
of  the  day  can  hope  for  success  only  through  the 
further  development  of  these  qualities  in  the  indi- 
vidual ;  without  their  further  development,  advance- 
ment in  wisdom  becomes  impossible. 

A  store  of  valuable  general  knowledge  necessarily 
includes  a  fair  understanding  of  the  laws  of  health, 
and  such  understanding  must,  to  an  ever  increasing 
extent,  be  the  foundation  of  individual  and  public 
health.  The  process  of  accumulating  this  store 
of  general  knowledge  develops  the  memory  and 
the  reasoning  power.   So-called  primary  knowledge 

^  The  article  on  Manufacturing  Works  High  Schools  for  Young 
Women  appeared  in  the  Arena  of  March,  1908.  This  article  is  a 
reprint  with  the  exception  of  slight  changes.  It  is  intended  as 
coraplemental  to  the  article  on  Public  Works  High  Schools.  The 
plan  is  equally  applicable  to  young  men  students  if  the  industry 
selected  is  adapted  to  them. 


78         MANUFACTURING   WORKS 

is  almost  universally  distributed,  but  so-called  sec- 
ondary knowledge  is  enjoyed  by  comparatively 
few.  Although  without  the  primary  there  could  be 
no  secondary  knowledge,  it  is  upon  the  latter  that 
we  directly  depend  for  advancement  in  wisdom. 
As  it  is  only  through  a  further  advance  in  popular 
wisdom  that  the  present  and  future  problems  of 
humanity  can  be  satisfactorily  solved,  it  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  that  every  young  person 
should  receive  a  secondary  or  high-school  educa- 
tion. 

At  the  present  time  most  of  us  gain  our  sec- 
ondary education  through  observation  and  reading, 
without  guidance  or  system ;  and  we  gain  this  at  a 
later  period  in  life  than  we  should.  When  one  con- 
siders that  in  well-managed  high  schools  the  teach- 
ing is  done  by  specially  trained  instructors  in  sub- 
jects selected  by  experienced  educators,  and  that 
these  subjects  are  treated  according  to  their  relative 
importance  in  the  student's  development,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  usual  random  stud}dng  is  of  little 
value  as  compared  with  systematic  high-school 
training  received  at  the  most  suitable  age.  How  can 
every  capable  young  person  be  induced  to  graduate 
from  some  thorough  high  school?  This  is  the 
problem  that  outweighs  all  other  reform  prob- 
lems ;  for,  as  just  intimated,  the  final  solution  of 


HIGH  SCHOOLS  79 

such  problems  depends  on  the  wisdom  of  the  in- 
dividual citizen.  Without  an  early  secondary  edu- 
cation, growth  in  wisdom  is  seriously  and  perman- 
ently retarded. 

In  trying  to  solve  the  problem  under  discussion, 
one  of  the  principal  points  to  consider  is  the  obtain- 
ing of  means  necessary  to  build  and  maintain  as 
large  a  number  of  high  schools  as  would  be  required 
to  accommodate  practically  every  individual  during 
the  high-school  period  of  his  life.  The  public  could 
do  this  if  it  were  determined  to  do  so,  but  the  taxes 
would  have  to  be  increased,  and  they  would  become 
a  hardship  in  many  more  instances  than  they  are 
at  present.  In  addition  to  the  means  required  for 
the  building  and  the  operation  of  the  schools,  means 
would  have  to  be  provided  for  the  full  or  partial 
maintenance  of  all  students  whose  parents  could 
not  fully  maintain  their  children  through  a  high- 
school  course.  Under  present  economic  conditions, 
it  would  be  impossible  for  the  public  to  furnish  this 
maintenance ;  and  if  it  were  possible,  it  would  be 
most  harmful. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  public  build  and 
equip  the  high  schools,  put  them  in  operation,  and 
then  let  the  students  themselves  pay  the  running 
expenses.  This  plan  would  be  easy  for  the  public 
and  good  for  the  students.    As  it  is  evident  that 


80         MANUFACTURING   WORKS 

the  hiffh-school  students  who  could  not  or  would 
not  be  maintained  by  their  friends  must  provide 
their  own  maintenance,  the  question  of  supplying 
the  students  with  remunerative  employment  be- 
comes a  paramount  one. 

One  object  of  this  article  is  to  make  a  specific 
suggestion  for  the  employment  of  young  women 
students.  We  are  told  that  many  organized  plans 
to  supply  students  with  employment  for  full  self- 
support  have  been  tried,  and  that  all  have  failed. 
This,  however,  should  be  no  reason  for  discourage- 
ment. So  important  is  the  problem  that  a  score  or 
more  of  experiments,  all  unsuccessful,  might  be 
considered  profitable  if  they  should  finally  lead  to 
the  discovery  of  a  plan  for  the  better  distribution 
of  secondary  education. 

Among  many  industries  with  which  the  experi- 
ment might  be  tried,  a  practical  one  would  prob- 
ably be  found  in  knitting  works  for  women's  and 
children's  underwear,  as  this  industry  seems  to  be 
one  that  is  especially  adapted  for  the  employment  of 
young  women  students.  Any  standard  article  that 
can  be  manufactured  under  healthful  conditions, 
and  for  the  making  of  which  adequate  remuneration 
can  be  given,  would  answer  the  purpose.  A  high 
school,  that  could  properly  be  called  a  manufactur- 
ing works  high  school,  and  a  knitting  works  might 


HIGH  SCHOOLS  81 

be  operated  conjointly  on  lines  similar  to  those  sug- 
gested for  the  joint  operation  of  public  utility  works 
and  public  works  high  schools  described  in  the 
foregoing  article.  The  public  works  high  school  is 
best  suited  for  young  men,  while  the  present  sug- 
gestion is  for  the  education  and  employment  of 
young  women.  As  with  young  men,  most  young 
women  of  sixteen  years  or  over  would  be  benefited 
by  earning  their  living  and  education,  if  the  work 
is  within  reason  and  also  instructive. 

The  details  regarding  the  school  age,  the  study 
and  work  programmes,  tuition  for  operating  ex- 
penses, and  like  points  could  be  adopted  as  de- 
scribed for  public  works  high  schools,  with  such 
modifications  as  would  best  suit  a  woman's  school. 
Some  prominent  educators  are  confident  that  six 
years  of  this  half-time  school  attendance  would  be 
ample  to  complete  what  at  present  constitutes  a 
four  years'  high-school  course.  The  more  mature 
years  that  would  be  brought  into  the  latter  part 
of  the  course,  the  presumably  better  health  due 
to  the  intermissions  occupied  by  work,  the  better 
assimilation  of  the  studies  due  to  the  more  delib- 
erate progress  of  the  entire  course,  —  all  would 
make  it  possible  to  take  a  regular  four  years'  course 
in  six  half-time  years.  We  shall  here  assume  that 
such  is  the  case. 


82         MANUFACTURING   WORKS 

The  student  who  attends  school  full  time  during 
the  ninth  and  tenth  grades  would  ordinarily  pass 
the  tenth  grade  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  if  she 
afterwards  attends  only  in  half-day  session,  she 
would  require  three  years  more  to  graduate,  and 
would  be  nineteen  years  of  age.  The  young  woman 
who  enters  the  ninth  grade  at  sixteen  and  goes 
through  all  the  grades  on  a  half-time  schedule 
would  graduate  at  twenty-two  years  of  age.  By  far 
the  larger  number  of  young  women  would  graduate 
at  twenty-two  or  younger.  Those  who,  by  actual 
experience,  learn  the  lesson  of  full  self-support  and 
all  that  necessarily  goes  with  it,  would  be  certain 
to  gain  much  more  from  the  school  course  than 
would  the  other  students. 

In  the  article  on  public  works  high  schools,  an 
imaginary  water  works  operated  by  self-supporting 
students  is  described.  In  the  description  of  this 
water  works  a  plan  is  given  for  an  annual  change 
of  employment  for  the  student  workers.  This  change 
of  work  is  suggested  partly  to  avoid  monotony, 
but  principally  to  acquaint  the  student  with  the 
entire  operation  of  the  business  from  janitor  up  to 
manager.  As  far  as  it  could  be  made  to  apply, 
this  plan  for  changing  work  might  be  profitably 
adopted  in  the  knitting  works.  The  education  of 
several  years'  duration  obtained  from  a  thorough 


HIGH  SCHOOLS  83 

working  study  of  a  knitting  factory  or  of  any  other 
business  is  most  valuable  and  interesting.  Such  a 
complete  knowledge  of  any  manufacturing  business 
is  rare,  and  few  can  fully  appreciate  its  value.  The 
student  workers  would  all  become  well  informed 
in  business  methods,  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
experiences  of  such  a  course  would,  in  later  life, 
aid  greatly  in  every  cooperative  effort  of  whatever 
nature. 

Many  believe  that  young  women  under  twenty 
years  of  age  would  not  render  adequate  service  to 
deserve  wages  necessary  for  self-support.  Self-sup- 
porting young  women  who  are  students  by  choice 
would  make  unsurpassed  workers.  A  study  of  knit- 
ting works  would  be  made  a  part  of  the  curriculum 
of  the  manufacturing  works  high  school,  thus  every 
part  of  the  operation  of  the  works  would  come 
under  the  observation  of  instructors  and  students. 
Under  such  favorable  conditions,  the  service  ren- 
dered by  the  young  women  would  be  almost  ideal. 

The  works  woidd  in  all  probability  be  owned  by 
a  voluntary  association  of  public-spirited  citizens 
who  would  not  operate  them  for  profit  other  than  a 
moderate  and  fixed  net  profit  that  would  build  up 
a  surplus  for  expansion.  This  voluntary  association 
of  citizens  would  require  full  and  clear  business  re- 
ports issued  to  the  general  public  at  regidar  inter- 


84         MANUFACTURING  WORKS 

vals.  These  reports  and  the  actual  bookkeeping 
could  be  made  the  regular  course  of  study  in  the 
bookkeeping  classes  of  the  school.  In  this  way  the 
general  public,  the  instructors,  and  the  students 
would  become  well  acquainted  with  the  details  of 
the  business,  and  this  publicity  would  tend  to  in- 
crease the  efficiency  in  the  works. 

Young  women  of  sixteen  years  of  age  who  are  se- 
lected for  ability  above  the  average  could  earn  enough 
in  five  hours  at  the  knitting  works  to  pay  their  per- 
sonal expenses  and  their  proportionate  share  of  the 
running  expenses  of  the  school.  The  young  women 
under  discussion  would  be  willing  to  live  simply ; 
and  one  dollar  a  day  could  be  made  to  answer,  if  a 
supply  of  clothing,  the  lighter  room  furnishings,  and 
about  twenty-five  dollars  for  books  and  emergencies 
were  on  hand.  An  energetic,  capable  young  woman 
who  tries  to  do  her  best,  ought  to  be  paid  enough 
for  five  hours  of  labor  to  enable  her  to  meet  the 
necessary  expenses  of  one  day  of  such  simple  living. 
If  she  is  not  paid  so  much,  others  are  living  off  her 
efforts.  At  the  present  time  the  women  workers  in 
privately-owned  knitting  works  are  not  paid  twenty 
cents  per  hour,  and  the  established  prices  for  knit 
goods  may  make  wages  at  that  rate  impossible.  The 
students'  knitting  works  would  be  required  to  yield 
only  a  moderate  profit  to  build  up  the  surplus  re- 


HIGH   SCHOOLS  86 

ferred  to,  and  the  student  workers  would  no  doubt 
show  greater  average  efficiency  than  do  present 
workers;  so  that,  notwithstanding  better  wages,  it 
might  be  possible  for  a  students'  knitting  works  to 
sell  its  goods  as  cheaply  as  the  same  goods  are  now 
being  sold.  As  is  shown  in  the  article  on  public 
works  high  schools,  the  effect  of  student  workers 
on  the  general  labor  market  would  be  in  no  way 
depressing. 

Some  believe  that  five  hours  of  daily  work  and 
three  hours  of  school  attendance  would  result  in 
physical  injury  to  many  young  women,  but  actual 
experience  indicates  the  contrary.  Whether  it  would 
be  injurious  or  not,  it  would  be  less  injurious  than 
eight  or  ten  hours  of  daily  work  such  as  those  who 
would  constitute  the  greater  number  of  the  seK- 
supporting  students  now  have  to  do.  The  work  and 
surroundings  in  a  students'  works  would  probably 
be  more  healthful  and  pleasant  than  those  of  the 
average  private  factory. 

We  wish  to  make  a  specific  suggestion  for  the 
creating  of  a  students'  knitting  works.  Let  the  Na- 
tional Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  appoint  a  com- 
mittee to  investigate  the  knitting  works  business. 
If  this  appears  to  be  well  suited  for  a  students' 
works,  have  the  committee  make  a  detailed  report. 
This  report  should  include  every  item  of  expense 


86         MANUFACTURING  WORKS 

and  income  in  the  operation  o£  the  business,  de- 
tailed drawings  of  buildings  and  machinery,  and  a 
practical  and  scientific  description  of  the  raw  ma- 
terial required.  The  report  should  give  the  cost 
of  constructing  a  knitting  plant  of  the  desired  size ; 
also  the  cost  of  the  necessary  buildings  for  dormi- 
tory, restaurant,  and  high  school.  In  making  this 
report,  the  committee  might  profitably  use  several 
years  of  time.  It  is,  of  course,  not  necessary  that 
the  committee  confine  itself  to  knitting  works ;  these 
are  suggested  merely  as  a  possibility. 

The  general  management  under  which  the  works 
is  to  be  operated,  until  experience  teaches  better 
ways,  should  also  be  determined  at  this  time.  One  of 
the  foremost  essentials  for  success  in  any  plan  for 
a  school  of  self-supporting  students  is  that  the  ap- 
plicants for  work  be  given  preference,  as  nearly  as 
possible,  in  the  order  of  their  ability  and  character  as 
shown  by  previous  standing  in  school.  Such  a  pre- 
ference is  only  fair,  and  it  urges  the  less  capable  to 
do  their  best.  We  would  suggest  a  board  of  directors 
consisting  of  three  members  chosen  by  the  women's 
clubs.  Let  there  be  added  to  this  board  twenty  stu- 
dent directors  chosen  by  the  student  body  from  the 
eleventh  and  twelfth  grades.  Each  student  director 
should  have  one  tenth  the  voting  power  of  each  di- 
rector chosen  by  the  women's  clubs.  A  special  state 


HIGH   SCHOOLS  87 

law  sanctioning  such  a  board  of  directors  might  have 
to  be  enacted. 

Let  us  assume  that  the  report  will  show  that  one 
dollar  per  five-hour  day  can  be  paid  to  capable  work- 
ers. With  each  additional  year  of  experience  the 
young  women  would  improve  in  industrial  worth, 
and  this,  let  us  further  assume,  would,  as  is  probable, 
permit  giving  a  second-year  student  $1.05;  a  third- 
year  student  $1.10 ;  thus  advancing  the  daily  wages 
five  cents  for  each  year  of  experience  that  the  student 
gains.  The  daily  wages  for  each  of  the  six  years 
respectively  would  therefore  be  11.00,  $1.05,  $1.10, 
$1.15,  $1.20,  $1.25,  making  an  average  of  $1.12. 
All  wages  over  the  one  dollar  per  day  could  be  saved 
by  the  student  until  graduation.  A  student  working 
three  hundred  days  per  year  for  six  years  could  in 
this  way  accumulate  $225.  In  voting  for  student 
directors,  the  individual  student  might  be  given 
voting  power  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  time  she 
had  served,  as  the  length  of  service  would,  in  a  way, 
be  a  measure  of  her  experience  in  the  business. 

Another  important  step  for  the  committee  to  take 
would  be  to  obtain  the  pledge  of  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  the  members  of  the  women's  clubs  to  buy  their 
knitted  goods  from  the  students'  works,  provided 
that  the  quality  is  equal  to  that  of  the  best  factories, 
and  that  the  prices  are  not  more  in  excess  of  mar- 


88         MANUFACTURING   WORKS 

ket  prices  than  fair  wages  might  make  necessary. 
Investigation  may  show  that  students' knitting  works 
could  produce  underwear  at  less  than  present  ruling 
prices.  These  and  other  preliminaries  being  accom- 
plished, a  stock  company  for  the  required  amount 
might  be  formed,  possibly  for  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  by-laws  framed  to  make 
possible  the  desired  mode  of  management.  Should 
the  experiment  finally  prove  successful,  students' 
works  and  manufacturing  works  high  schools  of 
various  kinds  could  be  introduced  into  every  city  of 
sufficient  size. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  great  benefit 
to  humanity  if  the  number  of  mothers  who  are  thor- 
ough high-school  graduates  could  be  increased  but 
two  or  three  fold.  This  would  be  especially  true  if 
all  future  high  schools  for  girls  would  give  courses 
in  domestic  science,  nursing,  and  motherhood.  The 
increase  in  the  number  of  graduates  due  to  the  sys- 
tem for  self-support  would  consist  of  just  those  whom 
nature  would  choose  as  the  most  desirable  mothers. 


SUGGESTIONS    RELATIVE    TO    A 

PUBLIC  WORKS  SCHOLARSHIP 

FUND 

A  Public  Works  Scholarship  Fund  as  suggested 
in  this  article  would  be  intended  for  the  aid  of  self- 
supporting  students  of  secondary  or  higher  schools^ 
and  would  be  limited  to  students  who  earn  their 
education  by  doing  work  for  city,  state,  or  federal 
government.  The  principal  purpose  of  the  fund 
would  be  to  make  good  any  shortage  in  wages  below 
a  fixed  minimum. 

Public  works  scholarship  funds,  especially  for 
secondary  schools,  might  be  deposited  with  some 
state  university  that  would  accept  the  treasuryship. 
Upon  presentation  of  satisfactory  vouchers  as  to 
past  expenditures,  the  funds  might  be  made  payable 
in  installments,  as  needed,  to  the  schools  for  which 
they  were  intended.  The  collection  and  distribu- 
tion of  a  large  fund  of  this  nature  would  require 
considerable  responsibility  and  work,  so  the  care  of 
the  fund  would  probably  be  entrusted  to  a  com- 
mittee. The  committee  might  engage  self-support- 
ing students  of  the  university  as  clerks  to  do  all  of 


90  SCHOLARSHIP  FUND 

the  detail  work  involved;  and  as  the  care  of  the 
fund  would  be  work  of  a  public  nature,  the  stu- 
dents doins:  this  detail  work  would  be  entitled  to 
the  benefits  of  the  fund.  In  order  to  give  the  hand- 
ling of  the  fund  the  greatest  publicity,  a  section 
of  the  bookkeeping  classes  might  be  made  to  re- 
view the  account  books  of  the  fund  as  part  of  their 
regular  class  work.  The  schools  that  are  benefici- 
aries  of  the  fund  might  handle  their  portion  of  it 
in  the  same  manner. 

Let  the  objects  in  placing  these  students  in  pub- 
lic work  be  as  follows :  First,  to  give  the  public 
the  benefit  of  a  high  class  of  service  in  the  posi- 
tions allotted  to  the  students ;  second,  to  supply 
the  students  with  the  means  for  self-support  whUe 
obtaining  a  school  education  ;  third,  to  fit  the  stu- 
dents for  service  in  public  as  well  as  in  private 
activity ;  fourth,  as  far  as  possible  to  give  the  stu- 
dents practical  experience  that  wiU  best  supplement 
the  school  education  in  the  special  fields  chosen  by 
them  as  their  life  work ;  fifth,  to  bring  the  schools 
into  intimate  working  touch  with  the  details  of 
current  public  activities. 

The  obtaining  of  work  for  the  students  might  be 
done  by  an  employment  committee.  In  relation  to 
his  employment,  the  student  accepting  the  benefits 
of  this  fund  should,  as  far  as  possible,  be  under 


SCHOLARSHIP   FUND  91 

the  control  of  this  committee.  The  committee,  sub- 
ject to  the  control  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
school,  might  have  arbitrary  power  in  choosing  and 
removing  any  student  as  a  beneficiary  of  the  fund, 
and  it  should  aim  to  offer  for  public  work  the  best 
available  material. 

In  accepting  employment  from  the  public  for 
the  student  workers,  the  employment  committee 
should,  as  far  as  practicable,  aim  to  confine  the 
students  to  such  positions  as  would  require  contin- 
uous, energetic  work.  One  of  the  main  objects 
should  be  to  develop  in  the  student  both  energy 
and  efficiency ;  a  further  object  should  be  to  coun- 
teract any  possible  tendency  of  heads  of  public 
departments  to  engage  student  workers  as  mere 
hangers-on  to  do  work  only  during  occasional  busy 
periods.  Such  a  practice  would  retard  the  proper 
development  of  even  the  best  disposed  students.  A 
tendency  to  employ  superfluous  help  might  develop, 
because,  in  some  cases,  all  or  part  of  the  students' 
wages  would  at  first  be  paid  out  of  the  fund. 

Any  student  who  might  take  advantage  of  this 
fund,  and  who,  owing  to  his  inexperience  with  the 
work,  does  not  at  first  receive  as  wages  from  the 
department  as  large  a  sum  as  twenty-five  cents 
per  hour,  would  be  entitled  to  receive  from  the 
fund  such  additional  amount  as  would,  when  added 


92  SCHOLARSHIP   FUND 

to  said  wages,  equal  twenty-five  cents  for  each  hour 
of  employment.  In  case  a  student  should  be  tem- 
porarily incapacitated  for  work,  the  employment 
committee  might  be  given  the  right  to  make  good, 
out  of  the  fund,  any  loss  in  the  student's  wages  aris- 
ing from  such  disability.  Every  student  who  avails 
himself  of  this  fund  should  be  impressed  with  the 
special  necessity  of  doing  his  best  at  the  public 
work,  so  that  he  will  be  likely  to  receive  wages  ade- 
quate for  his  needs,  and  thus  avoid  the  necessity 
of  drawing  upon  the  fund. 

Several  varieties  of  public  works  scholarship 
funds  could  be  established  as  their  need  arises.  An 
exact  and  full  description  of  the  purposes  and  mode 
of  management  of  every  fund  affecting  a  certain 
school  might  be  recorded  at  this  school,  and  a  copy 
of  each  description  might  be  recorded  in  the  re- 
corder's books  of  the  county  in  which  the  school  is 
located.  The  purpose  of  this  public  record  would  be 
to  simplify  the  work  of  investigation  by  attorneys 
in  preparing  wiUs  for  those  of  their  clients  who 
might  wish  to  contribute  to  the  fund.  The  fund 
committee  of  the  university  might  formulate  clauses 
and  codicils  for  wiUs  for  the  purpose  of  making  it 
convenient  for  any  one  to  bequeath  part  of  his  es- 
tate to  the  fund.  This  committee  might  advertise 
the    nature    of  the    fund  and    show    its    inherent 


SCHOLARSHIP  FUND  93 

public  benefits.  The  same  fund  committee  might 
also  organize  endowment  funds  for  public  works 
high  schools,  and,  whenever  the  fund  was  lai'ge 
enough  to  start  such  a  school,  place  the  money  in 
proper  hands  for  the  purpose. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  a  large  number  of 
people  would  have  a  strong  sympathy  for  schools 
which  would  take  a  special  interest  in  self-supporting 
young  people.  As  a  result  of  this  sympathy,  it  would 
be  less  difficult  to  induce  people  to  bequeath  of 
their  means  for  scholarship  funds  and  for  school 
endowments.  Because  of  the  self-support  of  the 
students  and  because  of  the  tuition  required,  both 
the  endowment  and  the  scholarship  funds  could  be 
much  smaller  than  similar  funds  under  the  present 
school  system.  Many  people,  however,  would  at 
present  hesitate  to  will  money  to  a  fund  for  a  high 
school:  first,  because  the  management  is  likely  to 
change  frequently ;  second,  because  high  schools  are 
not  equipped  to  handle  such  funds  ;  third,  because 
a  high-school  fund  is  likely  to  be  relatively  small 
and  a  small  fund  might  not  be  given  the  same  care 
as  a  large  one.  If  these  objections  to  high-school 
funds  were  aU  met,  only  a  moderate  amount  of  so- 
licitation in  behalf  of  the  funds  should  be  required 
to  bring  good  results.  The  plan  described  in  the 
foregoing  for  the  care  of  the  scholarship  fund,  — 


94  SCHOLARSHIP  FUND 

a  plan  in  which  the  students  themselves  are  a  fac- 
tor, —  would  meet  every  objection  thus  far  raised. 
The  following  clause  for  wills  might  be  useful  as 
a  suggestion  to  the  fund  committee :  — 

I  hereby  give,  devise,  and  bequeath  to  the  Uni- 
versity of the  sum  of Dollars,  in 

trust  for  the School  of  the  City  of , 

State  of ,  to  be  used,  administered,  and  dis- 
tributed for  the  purpose  and  in  the  manner  set  forth 
and  described  in  a  certain  instrument  entitled  "  Pub- 
lic Works  Scholarship  Fund  "  dated and 

recorded  in  Book page of  the  Mis- 
cellaneous Records  of  the  county  of ,  State 

of . 


THE  HEART-MIND  AND  THE 
SCHOOL 

For  the  purposes  of  the  present  discussion,  it  mat- 
ters not  at  all  whether  the  arbitrary  and  simple 
division  of  the  mind  as  herein  made  is  scientific. 
Fortunately,  yet  strangely,  it  is  not  essential  that 
we  know  whether  what  we  shall  term  the  heart- 
mind  is  different  from  that  which  we  shall  term  the 
primary-mind  merely  in  degree  or  in  kind.  How- 
ever, it  is  essential  that  we  satisfy  ourselves  as  to  a 
vital  interdependence  and  a  mutual  helpfulness  be- 
tween these  two  divisions  of  the  mind. 

It  is  sometimes  said  that  secondary-school  and 
college  education  develops  the  mind  without  de- 
veloping the  heart.  We  hear  that  such  an  education 
often  leaves  us  cold,  hard,  and  calculating.  We  are 
told,  and  truly  told,  that  without  education  of  the 
heart  no  one  can  become  wise,  strong,  and  happy. 
The  word  "  heart,"  as  thus  used,  in  reality  means 
but  a  certain  part  of  the  mind,  and  we  herein  refer 
to  this  part  as  the  heart-mind.  This  mind,  we  will 
say,  is  the  division  which  is  concerned  with  know- 
ledge and  beliefs  regarding  human  nature  and  God ; 


96  THE   HEART-MIND 

while  the  primary-mind  is  concerned  with  all  other 
knowledge.  Since  heart-mind  and  human  nature 
are  practically  the  same,  it  follows  that  each  indi- 
vidual heart-mind  is  concerned  with  knowledge  re- 
garding itself,  its  counterpart  in  fellow  men,  and 
with  knowledge  of  God.  That  knowledge  which 
clears  the  understanding  that  man  has  of  man,  or, 
we  may  perhaps  say,  all  knowledge  so  far  as  it  is 
used  to  clear  this  understanding,  is  knowledge  that 
belongs  to  the  heart-mind.  Knowledge  of  the  spin- 
ning of  cobwebs,  of  the  building  of  suspension 
bridges,  of  the  science  of  language,  of  chemistry, 
and  other  laws  of  nature,  are  examples  of  know- 
ledge belonging  principally  to  the  primary-mind. 
Some  branches  of  knowledge  may  belong  to  both 
divisions  of  the  mind  at  the  same  time. 

It  seems  to  be  true  that  the  primary-mind  is 
divided  in  one  of  several  suppositional  ways  into 
separate  and  distinct  subdivisions  for  each  line  of 
thought  activity.  It  seems  also  to  be  true  that 
the  normal  activity  of  any  one  subdivision  of  the 
primary-mind  will  aid  in  the  development  of  aU 
the  others.  Whether  or  not  the  primary-mind  is 
thus  subdivided  in  both  a  physical  and  a  mental 
sense,  or  only  in  a  mental  sense;  whether  the  sub- 
divisions are  sharply  defined,  or  not  separately  dis- 
tinguishable, is  not  essential  here.  As  an  extreme 


THE  HEART-MIND  97 

case,  for  instance,  it  is  believed  that  a  merely  nor- 
mal activity  and  development  of  the  subdivision  for 
mathematics  or  mechanics  in  any  mind  will  further, 
perhaps  only  to  a  slight  degree,  the  development  of 
the  subdivision  for  music  or  painting  in  that  mind. 
A  normal  rate  of  development  of  one  or  more  sub- 
divisions of  the  primary-mind  may,  by  reason  of 
sympathetic  action,  cause  improvement  in  the  health 
and  strength  of  all  other  subdivisions  of  that  di- 
vision of  the  mind.  Perhaps,  too,  the  development  of 
one  subdivision  is  furthered  by  the  normal  develop- 
ment of  any  other,  merely  by  reason  of  the  inter- 
dependence of  all  branches  of  knowledge.  Here 
we  should  remember  that  what  is  normal  develop- 
ment for  one  mind  may  be  extremely  abnormal 
for  another.  For  instance,  we  are  told  that  some 
are  born  with  a  more  vigorous  rudiment  of  the 
mathematical  subdivision  of  the  primary-mind  than 
are  others.  Those  so  situated  during  childhood  as 
to  develop  this  subdivision  more  fully  than  the 
others  are  developed  may  almost  be  put  in  the  same 
class  as  those  favored  at  birth  with  a  good  mind- 
rudiment  for  mathematics.  Some  children  have 
several  subdivisions  of  the  primary-mind  above  the 
average  in  strength ;  other  children  are  born  with 
all  subdivisions  above  the  average.  We  all  know 
that  by  the  time  manhood  is  reached  the  child  born 


98  THE  HEART-MIND 

with  a  marked  inclination  toward  mathematics  may, 
without  other  schooling  than  that  obtained  in  ordin- 
ary daily  occupation,  become  as  proficient  in  mathe- 
matics as  another  born  with  a  moderate  inclination 
towards  mathematics  is  likely  to  become  under  effi- 
cient instruction.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  a  good 
school  could  further  improve  the  mathematical  part 
of  a  mind  that  naturally  understands  mathematics. 
As  it  would  be  with  this  part,  so  it  would  be  with 
all  other  subdivisions  of  the  primary-mind. 

We  have  made  these  observations  about  the  pri- 
mary-mind because  there  is  good  reason  to  believe 
that  the  heart-mind  is  similarly  subdivided  into  sep- 
arate and  distinct,  yet  related  and  interdependent 
subdivisions  for  the  different  branches  of  knowledge 
that  are  its  province.  The  primary-mind  and  the 
heart-mind  seem  not  only  similar  in  construction 
and  in  method  of  operation,  but  humanity  often 
unconsciously  acknowledges  a  close  relationship 
between  them.  The  man  who  has  a  well-developed 
primary-mind  is,  as  a  rule,  more  readily  trusted  by 
humanity  than  one  whose  primary-mind  is  poorly 
developed,  and  whose  store  of  primary-mind  know- 
ledge is  proportionately  low.  This  more  ready  trust 
is  accorded  the  man  with  the  well-informed  primary- 
mind  because  it  has  been  found  that  improvement 
in  the  heart-mind  quite  generally  accompanies  im- 


THE  HEART-MIND  99 

provement  in  the  primary-mind.  For  reasons  that 
can  readily  be  imagined,  the  primary-mind  some- 
times advances  faster  than  the  heart-mind,  and 
develops  relatively  far  beyond  it.  Persons  with 
such  imeven  mental  development  are  frequently  the 
recipients  of  misplaced  conj&dence  given  by  those 
who  judge  the  individual  too  much  by  the  quality 
of  the  primary-mind  alone.  He  whose  primary- 
mind  is  thus  relatively  in  advance  of  his  heart-mind 
is,  therefore,  in  a  position  to  take  advantage  of  this 
misplaced  confidence.  This  advantage  he  sometimes 
takes  because,  having  a  relatively  weak  heart- 
mind,  he  cannot  always  withstand  the  temptation 
to  abuse  the  undeserved  trust  placed  in  him.  He 
would  not  be  granted  this  degree  of  confidence  if 
his  primary-mind  were,  as  is  usually  the  case, 
more  in  keeping  with  his  less  developed  heart-mind. 
It  here  becomes  evident  how,  in  certain  cases,  a  man 
may  improve  his  heart-mind  to  some  degree,  yet, 
on  account  of  the  proportional  over-improvement 
in  the  primary-mind,  he  may  in  reality  become  a 
more  harmful  man  than  before  this  additional  de- 
velopment of  his  heart-mind. 

All  this  is  no  argument  against  educating  the 
primary-mind,  because  the  ultimate  good  arising 
from  such  education  makes  any  temporary  harm 
from  disproportional  development  appear  insignifi- 


100  THE  HEART-MIND 

cant.  Since  the  human  race  must  improve  or  re- 
trograde, it  is  an  unimportant  matter  if  a  few,  on 
account  of  temporarily  uneven  mental  development, 
become  more  harmfid  during  their  own  process  of 
improvement.  This  uneven  development  may  be 
looked  for  in  the  student  who  has  a  naturally  weak 
heart-mind,  and  who  spends  most  of  his  time  acquir- 
ing technical,  scientific,  or  other  knowledge  belong- 
ing to  the  primary-mind.  This  student  ignores  that 
training  of  the  heart-mind  which  is  derived  from 
good  literature,  from  the  heart-mind  sciences,  such 
as  ethics,  philosophy,  sociology,  political  economy, 
and  from  the  direct  study  of  human  nature  through 
social  life.  A  similar  thing  is  true  of  any  man  with 
a  weak  heart-mind,  whether  he  be  laborer,  me- 
chanic, or  business  man,  if  he  confines  himself  too 
closely  to  an  occupation  that  calls  the  heart-mind 
but  little  into  action.  However,  the  student  can- 
not, while  in  school,  acquire  a  good  store  of  pri- 
mary-mind knowledge  without  some  social  broad- 
ening,  or  broadening  of    the    heart- mind ;  ^    and 

^  The  social  broadening  here  referred  to  is  aided  but  little  by 
the  secret  societies  of  the  students,  if  these  societies  are  conducted 
as  reported.  They  may  be  increasing  in  number,  but  they  are  not 
products  of  secondary  and  higher  education :  they  are  an  out- 
growth of  the  wrong  home  training  of  many  of  the  students. 
Only  injurious  training  can  be  given  in  homes  where  the  love 
of  money,  display,  luxury,  and  ease  is  encouraged.  The  young 


THE    HEAKT-MIND  101 

besides  a  well-trained  primary-mind  is  likely  to 
prepare  him  to  acquire  more  readily  that  know- 
ledge which  develops  the  heart-mind.  He  who  has 
a  weak  or  untrained  heart-mind  especially  needs 
ethical  study  to  strengthen  this  mind.  This  is  true 
because  the  society  of  his  own  kind,  valuable  as  it 
is,  often  gives  the  heart-mind  of  the  morally  ambi- 
tious man  a  dearth  of  higher  ethical  problems.  He 
is  most  fortunate  who  has  a  heart-mind  that  desires 
its  own  advancement,  and  who  has  a  primary-mind 
well  enough  trained  to  make  ethical  study  easy. 

To  grant  trust  is  to  acknowledge  in  the  recipient 
of  that  trust  a  corresponding  development  of  heart- 
mind.  As  said  before,  under  the  belief  that  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  heart-mind  accompanies  a  given  de- 
gree of  primary-mind,  humanity,  taken  as  a  whole, 
grants  to  the  individual  man  a  greater  or  lesser 

men  from  these  homes  form  a  certain  part  of  the  university  stu- 
dent body,  and  these  men  find  a  combination  of  true  social  life 
and  school  work  quite  foreign  to  their  tastes.  In  many  instances 
they  make  of  the  secret  society  an  institution  that,  in  exagg'er- 
ated  and  unrestrained  form,  satisfies  the  tastes  to  which  they 
have  been  bred.  Here,  of  course,  we  have  reference  to  societies 
of  the  nature  of  those  that  have  been  so  severely  criticised  in  re- 
cent years,  and  the  number  of  these  societies  is  not  small.  In  the 
end  the  school  will  prevail,  and  undoubtedly  all  undesirable  secret 
societies  will  become  extinct.  The  social  development  we  have  in 
mind  as  due  to  school  life  is  that  which  comes  from  the  every- 
day open  school  work. 


102  THE   HEART-MIND 

measure  of  trust  for  each  measure  of  development 
of  the  primary-mind  that  he  may  have  attained. 
This  fact  alone  should  be  accepted  as  adequate  evi- 
dence, even  though  this  evidence  is  circumstantial, 
that  there  is  a  strong  relationship  between  the 
heart-mind  and  the  primary-mind.  It  can  safely  be 
so  accepted  until  the  science  of  the  future  settles 
the  question. 

When,  for  instance,  we  study  criminology,  suf- 
frage, public  education,  religion,  the  humanitarian 
side  of  taxation  or  of  money,  we  not  only  exercise 
and  develop  the  heart-mind,  but  we  study  it  as 
well.  The  heart-mind  cannot  thus  be  occupied  with- 
out making  constant  use  of  knowledge  stored  in  the 
primary-mind,  nor  without  taking  advantage  of  the 
general  mind  power  that  was  in  part  developed 
through  the  act  of  accumulating  knowledge  in  the 
primary-mind.  An  exhaustive  study  of  the  heart- 
mind  would  probably  involve  all  knowledge. 

Knowledge  of  the  heart-minds  of  one's  fellows, 
whether  intuitive  or  acquired  by  experience  and 
study,  or  both,  is  the  principal  aid  to  the  develop- 
ment of  one's  own  heart-mind,  and  this  development 
fidly  governs  a  man's  treatment  of  his  fellow  man. 
Development  of  the  heart-mind  means  development 
of  goodness  degree  for  degree,  and  this  goodness  in 
its   last  degree  signifies    the    possession   of   such 


THE   HEART-MIND  103 

knowledge  and  wisdom  as  results,  above  aU  other 
considerations,  in  heartfelt  fair  play.  Still,  not  all 
who  have  considerable  knowledge  and  understand- 
ing of  the  heart-minds  of  others  are  good.  Some 
make  it  a  business  to  discover  the  weak  points  in 
the  heart-minds  of  their  fellows  in  order  to  mislead 
and  take  dishonest  advantage  of  them.  Those  who 
deliberately  use  their  knowledge  and  understand- 
ing of  the  heart-minds  of  others  for  purposes  of 
fraud,  do  this  only  because  their  own  heart-minds 
are  deficient  or  altogether  wanting  in  that  particu- 
lar section  which  correctly  appreciates  as  a  source  of 
happiness  the  value  of  deserving  the  trust  of  one's 
fellows.  The  man  with  a  very  unevenly  developed 
heart-mind  is  sometimes  given  credit  for  having  all 
its  subdivisions  developed  as  well  as  those  that  are 
farthest  advanced.  In  these  cases,  as  in  those  where 
the  primary-mind  is  developed  relatively  far  in 
advance  of  the  heart-mind,  the  dishonesty  often 
takes  the  form  of  abusing  the  unearned  trust  that 
has  been  granted.  Trust  is  likely  to  be  erroneously 
granted  or  withheld  as  long  as  some  will  judge  the 
entire  heart-mind  of  others  by  certain  sections 
thereof. 

To  all  appearances,  some  are  born  with  better 
rudiments  of  the  various  sections  of  the  heart-mind 
than  are  others.   In  the  infant  the  rudiments  of 


104  THE  HEART-MIND 

this  mind  are  ignorantly  selfish  in  the  extreme,  and 
if  the  infant  has  inherited  little  vigor  of  heart-mind 
or  at  least  of  its  more  vital  parts,  he  must  develop 
under  a  serious  handicap  ;  and  if  he  grows  to  man- 
hood under  circumstances  that  do  not  stimulate 
the  heart-mind  to  higher  action,  he  will  be  certain 
to  develop  into  a  bad  man.  Under  opposite  condi- 
tions, this  ignorant  selfishness  will  gradually  change 
to  enlightened,  refined,  or  altruistic  selfishness  in 
which  a  man  seeks  his  own  good  in  the  good  of  all. 
The  man  who  has  a  naturally  weak  heart-mind  can 
be  much  benefited  by  a  good  training  of  the  pri- 
mary-mind, provided  that  in  the  daily  course  of  life 
his  heart-mind  is  confronted  by  some  stimulating 
problems,  as  should  be  the  case  with  every  heart- 
mind.  The  training  of  his  primary-mind  is  the  prin- 
cipal thing  that  such  a  man  can  depend  upon  to 
aid  his  heart-mind  in  reaching  a  sound  basis,  —  a 
basis  where  the  gradual  self-uplifting  of  the  heart- 
mind  will  be  an  inevitable  consequence. 

Many  people  are  born  with  the  rudiments  of  an 
unusually  strong  heart -mind.  They  sometimes  de- 
velop strength  and  activity  in  all  sections  of  this 
part  of  the  mind  without  first  accumulating  any 
considerable  amount  of  knowledge  belonging  to  the 
primary-mind.  Some  of  these  people  have  a  very 
poorly    trained    primary-mind,   although    most   of 


THE   HEART-MIND  105 

them,  if  not  all,  have  a  primary-mind  capable  of 
good  training.  They  seem  able,  without  any  no- 
ticeable effort,  to  recognize,  to  carry  in  thought, 
and  to  analyze  fairly  complex  phenomena  pertain- 
ing to  the  heart-mind  of  their  fellows.  They  do  this, 
as  just  said,  without  possessing  a  good  store  of 
knowledge  in  the  primary-mind,  and  without  even 
realizing  that  their  minds  are  making  the  effort 
to  study  the  minds  of  others.  Such  persons  are 
sometimes  called  natural  readers  of  human  nature, 
but  we  might  just  as  truly  call  them  natural  read- 
ers of  the  heart-mind.  If  in  a  man's  own  heart- 
mind  that  division  which  appreciates  the  value  of 
the  trust  of  his  fellows  is  well  developed,  he  can- 
not observe  and  understand  the  heart-minds  of 
others,  whether  they  are  good  or  bad,  without 
making  his  own  heart-mind  better.  These  people 
sometimes  develop  a  heart-mind  relatively  far  in 
advance  of  their  primary-minds.  This  accounts  for 
the  fact  that  some  who  have  but  slightly  enlight- 
ened primary-minds  are  good.  We  have  previously 
accounted  for  the  fact  that  some  with  well-enlight- 
ened primary-minds  are  bad.  We  have  also  accounted 
for  the  fact  that  some  who  have  only  fractionally 
developed  heart-minds  are  bad. 

All  our  best  novels,  histories,  and  religious  books 
deal  instructively  with  human  nature  and  use  it  as 


106  THE  HEART-MIND 

the  foundation  theme.  Through  these  books  we 
come  in  contact  with  the  best  minds,  and,  directly 
or  indirectly,  through  them,  we  obtain  most  of  our 
development  of  the  heart-mind.  Imagine  how  much 
more  slowly  we  should  all  develop  if  we  were  denied 
the  training  of  the  primary-mind,  a  training  so  es- 
sential for  the  clear  understanding  of  such  enlight- 
ened discourse  and  such  books  as  best  train  our 
heart-minds.  Schools,  then,  develop  the  heart-mind 
indirectly  through  the  training  they  give  the  pri- 
mary-mind, through  the  social  intercourse  that 
accompanies  school  work,  and  through  the  direct 
teaching  of  such  heart-mind  studies  as  are  taken 
by  the  students. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  THE  UNIVERSITIES 

Only  a  moderate  percentage  of  young  people  enter 
high  school.  A  large  majority  of  those  that  enter 
do  not  finish  the  course.  Many  of  those  that  finish 
have  not  been  thorough  in  their  work,  and  of  the 
hmited  number  that  enter  the  university,  many  do 
not  have  the  capacity  to  continue.  Do  all  universi- 
ties hold  themselves  responsible  for  the  existence  of 
poorly  trained  and  untrained  young  people?  Are 
not  those  young  people  who  are  lacking  in  educa- 
tion, whether  they  are  the  aimless  sons  of  the  rich, 
the  misguided  sons  of  the  well-to-do,  or  the  self- 
supporting  young  men,  largely  results  of  wrong 
industrial  and  educational  conditions  ?  Do  the  uni- 
versities take  sufficient  interest  in  the  discovery  of 
ways  to  improve  these  conditions  for  young  people  ? 
Do  they  ask  themselves  questions  of  the  following 
nature? — 

Is  the  waste  of  school  time  that  results  in  the 
high-school  failure  a  result  of  a  popular  misconcep- 
tion of  what  constitutes  social  happiness?  If  so,  what 
is  this  misconception,  and  how  can  it  be  corrected? 


108  QUESTIONS 

How  can  virtually  all  boys  and  girls  be  led  to 
take  a  thorough  high-school  course  ? 

Would  it  be  wise  for  the  public  to  provide  em- 
plojrment  for  self-supporting  students  who  will  do 
work  satisfactorily,  provided  that  the  employment 
is  kept  under  the  inspection  of  the  schools  and  the 
public  ?  Would  such  employment  gradually  attract 
large  numbers  of  self-supporting  students  ?  Would 
these  students  be  above  the  average  in  ability? 
Would  they  raise  the  standard  of  the  schools? 

What  would  be  the  best  plan  that  the  public 
might  adopt  to  provide  steady  employment  for  stu- 
dent laborers? 

What  would  be  the  best  plan  to  induce  private 
employers  to  furnish  steady  and  sufficiently  remun- 
erative work  to  self-supporting  students  ? 

Is  it  possible,  as  a  general  rule,  for  a  student  to 
earn  enough  for  complete  self-support  after  reserv- 
ing a  considerable  part  of  his  time  for  school  pur- 
poses ? 

Could  the  public,  without  loss,  engage  in  certain 
industries  in  order  to  give  employment  to  students  ? 
Could  it  permit  the  older  students  to  do  most  of 
the  managerial  work,  and  thus  save  for  the  students 
the  employer's  profit  ? 

What  industries  could  be  gradually  taken  over 
by  the  public  for  the  benefit  of  the  students  ? 


QUESTIONS  109 

Could  private  employers  be  induced  to  instruct 
students  in  the  complete  details  of  their  respective 
businesses  in  order  that  the  greatest  educational 
values  would  be  realized  from  the  employment? 

Would  employment  with  private  employers,  val- 
uable though  it  is,  be  as  instructive  and  as  valuable 
to  the  students  as  employment  in  public  industries 
under  school  supervision  ? 

If  the  schools  were  actually  guiding  some  im- 
portant industries  would  they  not  be  more  highly 
regarded  by  young  people  ?  Would  not  such  activ- 
ity broaden  the  schools  ?  Would  it  not  also  broaden 
the  lives  of  the  instructors? 

If  industrial  conditions  are  at  their  best,  is  it 
not  wise  for  students  and  others  to  be  self-support- 
ing after  the  age  of  sixteen  ? 

Can  any  school  call  itself  a  seat  of  learning  until 
it  has  brought  about  a  mental  condition  in  the 
entire  student  body  that  grants  the  highest  respect 
for  any  kind  of  labor  done  by  a  self-supporting 
student,  and  that  regards  self-support  as  one  of  the 
essentials  of  manhood  ? 

What  can  be  done  to  induce  rich  parents  to  turn 
their  children  over  to  schools  where  self-support 
would  be  required,  and  where  ways  of  self-support 
would  be  provided  ? 

Would   the   average   child   in   the    elementary 


110  QUESTIONS 

grades  be  impelled  to  better  effort  by  a  reasonable 
prospect  for  self-support  at  instructive  work  during 
the  period  of  secondary  and  higher  education? 

"Would  not  the  elementary  schools  prepare  the 
children  for  the  later  labors  in  the  public-school 
industries,  and  would  not  young  people  who  had 
been  so  prepared  make  the  operation  of  these  in- 
dustries highly  successful  ? 

Would  the  plan  for  public  employment  during 
school  age  remove  necessary  competition  from  the 
lives  of  our  youth,  or  would  competition  still  re- 
main and  be  of  a  different  and  better  form  ? 

Unless  means  for  self-support  are  provided,  can 
the  majority  of  our  young  people  ever  attain  a 
secondary-school  education,  and  will  the  standard 
of  student  earnestness  ever  be  at  its  best  ? 

Is  it  better  for  the  young  man  to  give  his  time 
exclusively  to  school  work  until  the  day  for  enter- 
ing the  world's  work,  or  is  it  better  for  him  to  pass 
a  few  years  in  a  transition  period  ?  Can  secondary 
and  higher  education  be  of  the  highest  efficiency 
unless  it  is  contemporary  with  occupation  in  the 
world's  work? 

Would  a  general  union  of  secondary  and  higher 
schools  with  public  industrial  activity  and  other 
public  activities,  purify  politics  by  reason  of  the 
higher   standard   of   character   engaged   and   the 


QUESTIONS  111 

greater  publicity  effected,  or  would  politics  corrupt 
the  schools? 

To  what  extent  do  our  industrial  and  political 
conditions  retard  the  general  distribution  of  sec- 
ondary and  higher  knowledge?  Have  any  other 
institutions  better  opportunities  to  improve  these 
conditions  than  have  our  great  universities?  If 
so,  are  any  other  institutions  as  responsible  for  the 
persistence  of  these  conditions?  The  church  is 
asked  to  improve  them,  and  rightly  so,  but  have 
not  the  universities  a  greater  responsibility  in  this 
field? 

Can  these  questions  be  settled  without  the  mak- 
ing, under  varied  conditions,  of  a  hmited  number 
of  thorough  experiments? 

Until  the  universities  have  done  aU  that  can  be 
done  to  increase  high-school  attendance  and  to 
make  the  students  more  earnest,  they  should  hold 
themselves  largely  responsible  for  poorly  educated 
young  people. 


REDEEM  NATIONAL  RESOURCES 
AND   HELP   THE   SCHOOLS^ 

When  land  in  great  areas  still  belonged  to  the  pub- 
lic, the  government  wisely  set  aside  large  tracts  as 
school  lands.  These  school  lands  were  gradually 
disposed  of  in  order  to  obtain  funds  for  building 
and  operating  public  schools.  It  now  becomes  ap- 
parent that  it  would  have  been  still  wiser  had  the 
lawmakers  of  those  early  times  also  reserved  other 
public  resources. 

Without  retarding  the  nation's  material  pro- 
gress, the  government  might  have  reserved  for  pub- 
lic-school purposes  many  of  the  timber,  mineral,  and 
oil  rights,  also  much  of  the  water  supply  and  water 
power.  These  several  resources  could,  in  the  begin- 
ning, have  been  leased  under  restrictions  fair  both 
to  the  lessees  and  to  the  public,  and  the  rent 
could  have  gone,  at  least  in  part,  to  the  support  of 
the  schools.  At  the  expiration  of  the  leases,  the 
schools,  through  departments  of  forestry,  mining, 
oil  development,  water  supply,  and  water  power, 

^  The  larger  part  of  this  article  was  published  under  another 
title  in  the  Pacijic  Outlook  of  November  7,  1908. 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  113 

might  themselves  have  operated  sawmills,  mines,  oil 
wells,  water  works,  and  power  plants.  Good  wages 
and  good  working  conditions  could  have  been  given 
the  students  in  these  public  activities,  and  there 
would  have  been  no  lack  of  available  students.  The 
profit  to  the  public  would  have  been  great  in  dollars, 
and  beyond  measure  in  citizenship. 

In  consequence  of  the  past  oversight  in  not  re- 
serving more  of  our  national  resources,  the  country 
now  supports  thousands  of  palatial  imitations  of 
homes  in  which  families  maintain  a  retinue  of  ser- 
vants who,  being  treated  as  inferior  persons,  often 
become  inferior.  If  the  public  does  not  redeem 
some  of  its  lost  resources,  and  if  it  does  not  awaken 
and  come  to  the  support  of  its  better  political 
leaders  in  conserving  the  resources  still  remaining, 
the  nation  will  in  time  be  burdened  with  a  tenfold 
increase  in  such  palatial  homes  and  their  often- 
times undesirable  occupants,  instead,  as  would  be 
easily  possible,  of  being  blessed  with  more  numer- 
ous and  better  schools  occupied  by  public-spirited 
and  adequately  remunerated  teachers  and  by  hope- 
fid  young  people  developing  into  upright  citizens. 

The  following  discussion  shows  how  one  public 
resource,  although  originally  regulated  by  law,  was 
made  private  property  by  the  courts.  The  story, 
although  wholly  imaginary,  shows  how  ridiculous 


114    REDEEM  NATIONAL  EESOURCES 

such  a  situation  appears,  and  how  easily  the  re- 
source might  have  been  rescued. 

"We  will  suppose  that  somewhat  more  than  ten 
years  ago  one  thousand  American  negro  graduates 
of  Hampton  Institute,  Tuskegee,  and  many  North- 
ern high  schools,  in  a  courageous  effort  to  aid  in 
the  solution  of  the  race  problem,  undertook  to  start 
an  all-negro  nation  of  high-school  graduates  ^  in  a 
suitable,  uninhabited  district  in  Africa.  They  named 
their  nation  New  Liberia,  and  their  first  town  New 
Hampton.  Out  of  friendship  for  the  United  States, 
and  out  of  a  sense  of  inter-racial  fellowship,  all  civ- 
ilized countries  agreed  to  protect  these  ambitious, 
nation-making  pioneers  against  white  and  yellow 
invasion  for  one  hundred  years. 

In  its  natural  state,  the  district  set  aside  for  this 
new  nation  was  a  semi-arid  country,  as  was  South- 
ern California  twenty-five  years  ago.  Before  leaving 
for  Africa  the  colony  sent  three  of  its  members  to 
California  to  study  the  water  development,  and 
the  method  of  distribution  as  there  practiced.  The 
information  gained  by  these  three  men  was  incor- 
porated as  a  part  of  the  general  plan  for  the  new 

*  We  have  selected  secondary-school  graduates  as  the  inhabit- 
ants of  our  imaginary  country  because  we  could  hardly  expect 
quick  and  intelligent  public  action  from  those  of  less  training. 


HELP  THE  SCHOOLS  115 

national  life.  In  this  plan  it  was  provided  that  the 
three  men,  for  private  gain,  should  form  and  operate 
a  stock  company  to  supply  the  inhabitants  of  the 
new  nation  with  water.  The  law  framed  to  cover 
this  phase  of  the  nation's  economy  provided  that  the 
water  rates  should  be  so  regulated  that  the  business 
of  the  water  company  might  yield  the  stockholders 
an  annual  net  profit  of  twelve  per  cent  on  the  value 
of  the  water  plant.  In  addition  to  the  regular  cost 
of  operation  and  maintenance,  the  expenses  included 
a  sinking  fund  for  the  purpose  of  covering  expected 
renewals.  With  the  exception  of  the  clause  fixing 
the  rate  of  profit  at  twelve  per  cent,  the  water  laws 
of  California  were  adopted  by  the  new  nation  for 
the  regulation  and  protection  of  the  business  of  the 
three  incorporators  of  the  water  company. 

New  Liberia  grew  rapidly.  In  ten  years  five  thou- 
sand additional  negro  graduates  had  made  their 
homes  in  the  new  land ;  and  for  every  such  gradu- 
ate who  entered  the  country,  the  laws  of  the  nation 
permitted  two  less  educated  adult  negroes  to  come 
to  New  Liberia.  In  ten  years,  therefore,  eighteen 
thousand  adults  had  come  to  the  new  country.  If 
we  add  to  this  number  all  of  the  native-born,  we 
find  a  population  of  about  fifty  thousand  in  New 
Liberia  at  the  present  time.  Compulsory  secondary 
education  was  adopted  for  all  native-born  citizens, 


116     REDEEM   NATIONAL   RESOURCES 

and  for  each  native  graduate,  two  less  educated 
emigT-ants  from  the  United  States  will  be  admitted. 
Contrary  to  expectation,  this  movement  of  graduates 
toward  Africa  has  not  decreased  the  intellectual  aver- 
age of  the  negroes  that  remain  ;  it  has  rather  stimu- 
lated them  to  a  more  determined  educational  effort. 

We  will  suppose  that  the  richest  land  in  New 
Liberia,  and  that  nearest  the  water  supply,  is  by 
this  time  thickly  settled.  All  the  water  has  been 
developed  by  the  three  "  water-men,"  as  they  are 
called,  and  all  opportunity  for  competition  has  been 
removed.  The  next  available  source  of  supply  is 
sixty  miles  distant,  and  the  colony  is  as  yet  too 
poor  to  utilize  this  water.  The  three  water-men 
originally  brought  ten  thousand  dollars  to  the  new 
country,  and  with  this  capital  they  developed  the 
first  supply  of  water.  The  wages  that  each  took 
for  his  work,  together  with  the  four  hundred  dollars 
that  each  received  as  his  share  of  the  profits,  gave 
each  as  good  a  living  as  that  of  the  more  fortunate 
of  his  neighbors.  But,  like  a  large  class  of  white 
men  and  a  comparatively  small  class  of  black  men, 
the  more  they  have,  the  more  they  want. 

The  colony  has  now  grown  to  large  proportions 
and  its  numbers  are  increasing  rapidly,  as  many 
new  settlers  are  coming  from  the  different  states. 
Under  these  conditions  each  individual  settler  is  no 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  117 

longer  a  personal  acquaintance  of  all  the  others, 
and  it  requires  ever  less  acuteness  on  the  part  of 
the  schemer  to  injure  the  public,  and  to  "  befuddle  " 
the  issue,  when  those  who  are  accurately  informed 
of  the  deception  endeavor  to  expose  and  correct 
wrong-doing.  However,  when  a  black  man  of  New 
Liberia  tries  some  nefarious  scheme,  he  is  soon 
checked  by  his  more  enlightened  fellow  citizens. 

Not  long  ago  our  three  water-men  received  a 
visit  from  a  negro  lawyer  of  Southern  California, 
and  this  friend  told  them  of  recent  court  decisions 
in  suits  between  California  cities  and  private  water 
companies.  In  these  decisions  he  said  that  flowing 
water,  and  water  that  is  easily  pumped,  is  inven- 
toried at  one  thousand  dollars  or  more  per  miner's 
inch.  Our  three  incorporators  at  once  saw  great 
possibilities  of  wealth,  luxury,  display,  and  power,  as 
their  water  right  consisted  of  one  thousand  miner's 
inches  of  such  water.  In  California  this  amount  of 
water  would  be  inventoried  at  one  million  dollars  at 
least.  Up  to  this  time  it  had  not  occurred  to  these 
men  to  demand  a  greater  annual  profit  than  twelve 
hundred  dollars,  as  this  was  twelve  per  cent  on  that 
part  of  the  plant  built  with  their  own  money.  Be- 
fore the  lawyer  ended  the  first  day  of  his  visit,  he 
and  his  three  friends  had  estimated  a  large  pro- 
spective profit  in  the  following  manner :  — 


118    EEDEEM  NATIONAL  KESOURCES 

Part  of  plant  built  with  the  original  funds,  $10,000.00 

Part  of  plant  built  with  surplus  from  water  rates,  300,000.00 

1000  miner's  inches  of  flowing  water  at  $1000  per  inch,  1,000,000.00 

$1,310,000.00 

Twelve  per  cent  allowed  for  profit  based  on  such 
an  inventory  amounts  to  $157,200. 

The  lawyer  said  that  inventory  prices  of  flowing 
water  in  California  have  a  tendency  to  rise,  and  he 
predicted  that  two  thousand  dollars  an  inch  would 
prevail  in  ten  years.  Should  this  prediction  come 
true,  these  New  Liberia  water-men  believed  that 
in  ten  years  they  would  be  entitled  to  an  annual 
profit  of  over  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  Even 
$157,200  of  annual  income  would  mean  a  colossal 
fortune  for  three  men  in  a  new  country  of  this 
character ;  yet  it  meant,  in  money,  but  seventy- 
three  cents  per  month  for  each  of  the  eighteen  thou- 
sand adults  of  New  Liberia. 

Of  course  the  lawyer  told  his  friends  that  it 
would  be  a  difficult  matter  so  to  engineer  this 
change  in  rates  that  the  leaders  of  the  common 
council,  the  newspapers,  the  courts,  and  even  the 
people,  would  see  things  right,  and  appreciate  the 
injustice  that  his  friends  had  inflicted  on  them- 
selves in  the  past.  The  lawyer  told  the  three  water- 
men that  they  were  supposed  to  have  done  business 
under  law  copied  from  the  original  California  law, 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  119 

and  this  being  the  case,  they  could  assume  the 
privilege  of  acting  under  that  law  as  modified  by 
subsequent  California  court  decisions.  In  any 
event,  the  lawyer  said  that  it  would  do  no  harm 
to  try  the  new  water  rates  on  the  people,  and  ex- 
pressed his  willingness  to  undertake  the  securing  of 
legal  sanction  for  the  increased  rates  as  just  esti- 
mated, if  the  water-men  would  agree  to  allow  him 
fifteen  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  his  work  as  long 
as  the  increased  rate  could  be  made  to  hold.  The 
lawyer  said  that  he  expected  to  use  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  conditional  on  success.  This  fifty  thousand 
dollars  he  thought  would  be  ample  to  enlighten 
and  satisfy  all  antagonism.  He  promised  to  arrange 
that  none  of  these  obligations  should  become  due 
before  the  profit  out  of  the  new  rates  which  the 
people  would  be  made  to  pay  was  ample  for  set- 
tlement in  full.  His  greatest  trouble,  he  believed, 
would  be  to  obtain  advertising  space  on  credit  from 
even  the  friendly  newspapers.  He  emphasized  the 
fact  that  he,  too,  would  wait  for  his  annual  reward  of 
fifteen  thousand  dollars  until  the  rates  for  January 
were  collected.  The  lawyer  said  that  it  certainly 
could  be  made  to  look  ridiculous  that  the  water-men 
should  have  a  profit  of  only  twelve  hundred  dollars, 
exclusive  of  salaries,  on  a  business  that  distributes 
nearly  thirteen  million  gallons  of  water  a  day. 


120    REDEEM  NATIONAL   RESOURCES 

"  I  know  you  water-men  receive  a  salary  that  is 
approximately  what  you  would  receive  if  doing  any- 
thing else,"  the  lawyer  said,  "  and  a  salary  at  which 
the  public  could  hire  men  who  would,  with  a  little 
practice,  carry  on  this  business  successfully.  On 
the  other  hand,  there  is  George  Frost  who  has  a 
profit  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  a  year  from 
his  simple  invention,  and  the  money  volume  of  his 
business  is  not  half  what  your  total  water  rates 
would  be  on  the  new  basis.  With  arguments  of  this 
nature  I  can  easily  mislead  the  public,  if  the  ma- 
jority of  your  people  have  not  yet  learned  to  dis- 
tinguish between  a  monopolistic  public  utility  busi- 
ness and  a  private  competitive  business.  I  am  aware 
that  Mr.  Frost  has  a  monopoly  for  seventeen  years 
in  this  patented  device,  but  he  cannot  prevent 
another  from  inventing  a  better  one  which  might 
take  all  or  part  of  his  business  away  from  him.  A 
monopoly  in  a  public  necessity,  whether  created  by 
law  or  by  an  invincible  aggregation  of  capital,  is 
as  safe  as  a  real-estate  mortgage,  and,  in  compari- 
son with  a  private  competitive  business,  it  deserves 
much  less  profit.  Your  people,  I  believe,  do  not 
realize  this,  therefore  they  may  stand  the  increase 
in  rates.  If  they  will  stand  the  proposed  increase, 
it  will  be  an  easy  matter  to  continue  the  raising 
of  rates  in  proportion  to  the  further  rise  in  inven- 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  121 

tory  values  of  flowing  water  in  California.  When 
your  annual  profit  has  increased  to  about  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  thousand  dollars,  I  should  advise 
that  you  capitalize  on  a  six  per  cent  basis,  or  for 
four  million  dollars,  and  sell  at  par  to  your  fellow 
citizens  as  much  of  the  capital  stock  as  you  can. 
This  will  make  your  position  more  secure." 

All  the  courts  and  newspapers  in  New  Liberia, 
had  they  tried,  could  not  have  convinced  the  fifty 
thousand  enlightened  negroes  that  the  inhabitants 
of  California  have  any  sense  of  justice,  or  common 
sense  of  any  kind,  when  it  comes  to  calculating  water 
rates.  Neither  the  courts,  the  newspapers,  nor  the 
officials  endorsed  the  proposed  increase  in  rates. 
After  their  endeavor  to  increase  the  water  rates, 
the  three  water-men  were  called  unpatriotic,  and  it 
will  require  many  years  of  right  effort  to  reestablish 
them  in  the  confidence  of  their  fellow  citizens. 

The  proposed  plan  of  the  California  lawyer  and 
the  three  New  Liberian  water-men  directed  the  at- 
tention of  the  people  to  the  possible  misinterpreta- 
tion of  the  California  law  that  they  had  adopted. 
Awake  to  the  possibilities  of  the  injustice  to  which 
this  law  opened  the  way,  they  immediately  set  to 
work  to  remedy  its  defects.  When  they  explained 
the  method  of  calculation  used  to  arrive  at  the  pro- 
posed water  rate,  the  four  men  were  so  sharply 


122    REDEEM  NATIONAL   RESOURCES 

reprimanded  by  the  public  that  their  attempt  ended 
in  a  timid  argument  that  rates  must  be  raised  to 
lessen  consumption  in  order  that  the  inadequate  sup- 
ply might  hold  out  until  the  colony  was  wealthy 
enough  to  bring  its  water  from  the  next  source  of 
supply. 

Their  fellow  citizens  replied :  "  Raise  the  rates  as 
high  as  necessary  for  this  purpose,  but  turn  over  to 
the  city,  annually,  all  surplus  profits  over  twelve 
per  cent  on  your  original  investment  of  ten  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  money  you  thus  turn  over  we 
will  apply  to  extend  the  water  plant ;  and  what  is 
not  needed  for  this  extension  will  be  used  to  reduce 
the  general  tax  levy.  If  once  they  had  accumulated 
sufiicient  money,  men  as  selfish  as  you  are  might 
corrupt  our  press  and  our  officials.  An  enterprise  in 
what  is  acknowledged  as  a  public  utility  must  hence- 
forth be  considered  the  sacred  charge  of  those  into 
whose  hands  it  has  fallen.  Since  you  have  exposed 
your  characters,  we  shall  relieve  you  of  your  busi- 
ness as  soon  as  we  can  make  a  fair  and  satisfactory 
law  to  provide  for  the  compensation  to  be  given. 
But  this  compensation  will  include  no  price  for  the 
water  that  was  in  reality  only  loaned  by  the  govern- 
ment. Our  magnificent  school  system  is  the  only 
part  of  the  nation's  economy  that  is  operated  on  a 
scale  so  generous  as  to  make  retrenchment  pes- 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  123 

sible,  and  if  we  were  to  permit  you  to  take  the  pro- 
fits that  you  planned,  we  should  have  to  curtail  the 
school  system,  and  this  would  be  preposterous." 

The  three  men  might  have  lived  entirely  on  their 
salaries,  and  have  used  the  annual  dividends  of 
twelve  per  cent  to  acquire  additional  capital  stock 
of  the  water  company.  At  the  end  of  twenty  years  of 
such  procedure,  each  would  have  accumulated  about 
thirty-two  thousand  dollars  worth  of  stock,  which 
would  yield  for  each  an  annual  income  of  about 
thirty-eight  hundred  dollars.  Had  these  three  men 
adopted  this  plan,  the  public  of  New  Liberia  would 
have  remained  satisfied,  and  would  not  have  decided 
to  acquire  the  water  business.  Twenty  years  of 
service  in  the  water  works  would  have  found  these 
men,  at  about  fifty-five  years  of  age,  with  an  annual 
income  for  each  of  thirty-eight  hundred  dollars  in 
addition  to  a  fair  salary,  and  with  the  deepest  respect 
and  confidence  of  their  fellow  citizens. 

We  will  now  turn  from  the  imaginary  country  of 
New  Liberia  to  our  own  country,  and  to  California. 
Califomians  are  all  interested  in  learning  by  what 
legal  reasoning  and  by  what  principle  of  justice  the 
California  courts  construe  the  law  so  as  to  permit 
water  companies  to  estimate  a  percentage  of  profit 
on  a  valuation  placed  on  the  water  they  were  per- 


124    REDEEM  NATIONAL  RESOURCES 

mitted  to  appropriate.  The  California  law  originally 
did  not  intend  to  grant  a  man  the  right  to  appro- 
priate a  public  necessity  like  water,  and  then  to  pro- 
tect him  against  usurpers  in  order  that  he  might 
demand  a  profit  on  the  water  right,  much  less  a  pro- 
fit per  gallon  on  this  right,  which  increases  with  the 
demand  for  water.  Without  doubt,  the  purpose  of 
this  law  was  to  allow  him  a  certain  profit  on  his  de- 
velopment work,  and  this  profit  was  fixed  at  a  given 
percentage  of  the  value  of  the  plant.  It  seems,  how- 
ever, that  the  law  did  not  define  with  absolute  clear- 
ness what  should  constitute  this  value. 

The  water  law  of  1885  contains  the  following: 
*'  Said  board  of  supervisors,  in  fixing  such  rates, 
shall,  as  near  as  may  be,  so  adjust  them  that  the  net 
annual  receipts  and  profits  thereof  to  the  said  per- 
sons, companies,  associations,  and  corporations  so 
furnishing  such  water  to  such  inhabitants,  shall  be 
not  less  than  six  or  more  than  eighteen  per  centum 
on  the  said  value  of  the  canals,  ditches,  flumes, 
chutes,  and  aU  other  property  actually  used  and  use- 
ful to  the  appropriation  and  furnishing  of  such 
water,  etc."  The  law  does  not  say  that  a  profit  of 
between  six  and  eighteen  per  cent  shall  be  allowed 
on  any  future  valuation  of  the  water  rights.  It  is 
true  that  the  law  expressly  allows  the  said 
profit  on   "  aU  other  property  actually  used  and 


HELP  THE  SCHOOLS  125 

useful  to  the  appropriation  and  furnishing  of  such 
water." 

The  phrase  "all  other  property  actually  used 
and  useful  to  the  appropriation  and  furnishing  of 
such  water"  was  not  intended  to  cover  water 
rights.  Should  a  jobbing  house  advertise  that 
it  has  on  sale  water  pipe  and  all  other  property 
actually  used  and  useful  to  the  appropriation  and 
furnishing  of  water  by  water  companies,  no  one 
would  expect  to  buy  water  or  water  rights  from  the 
house.  Should  a  dealer  advertise  that  he  has  on  sale 
fish  lines  and  all  other  materials  actually  used  and 
useful  for  catching  and  selling  fish,  no  one  would 
expect  to  buy  fish  from  him.  For  like  reasons  no 
one  should  have  assumed  that  the  framers  of  our 
water  law  intended  that  a  profit  should  be  figured 
on  a  valuation  of  the  water  right,  when  they  said 
that  a  profit  of  six  to  eighteen  per  cent  may  be  al- 
lowed on  the  "  value  of  the  canals,  ditches,  flumes, 
chutes,  and  all  other  property  actually  used  and  use- 
ful to  the  appropriation  and  furnishing  of  such 
water."  The  records  of  lawsuits  show  that,  up  to 
1890  or  even  later,  it  did  not  occur  to  water  com- 
panies to  ask  a  percentage  of  profit  on  a  valuation 
of  appropriated  water.  This  fact  is  strong  circum- 
stantial evidence  that  no  such  profit  was  originally 
intended.  The  fact  that  the  framers  of  the  law  spe- 


126    REDEEM  NATIONAL  RESOURCES 

cified  canals,  ditches,  flumes,  and  chutes,  but  did 
not  specify  the  water  right,  which  is  the  first  essen- 
tial in  the  business,  is  adequate  evidence  in  favor 
of  our  contention. 

Does  not  that  branch  of  the  press  that  stands  for 
right  have  a  duty  to  perform  in  every  case  of  such 
positive  injustice  to  the  public?  This  case  of  injust- 
ice stands  out  so  plainly,  and  could  be  so  effectually 
and  easily  corrected  without  wrong  to  any  one,  that 
the  duty  to  work  for  such  correction  becomes  doubly 
binding. 

If  the  interests  that  now  control  our  water  sup- 
plies are  so  strong,  and  if  the  rights  of  these  interests 
are  so  long  established  that  we  cannot  force  any 
radical  change,  could  not  a  valid  law  be  framed 
and  enacted  for  the  appraisal  of  all  privately 
owned  water  rights?  This  law  should  provide  that 
the  appraisal  be  made  within  a  short  period  after 
the  law  goes  into  effect.  Whether  the  price  deter- 
mined upon  in  any  case  is  fixed  at  the  rate  of  one 
dollar  or  one  thousand  dollars  per  miner's  inch  at 
the  intake,  the  law  should  provide  that  the  ap- 
praised value  may  never  be  raised  in  proceedings 
for  determining  any  future  water  rate ;  that  it  may 
never  be  raised  in  order  to  aid  in  increasing  the 
capital  stock  of  the  corporation ;  that  it  may  never 
be  raised  in  order  to  increase  the  value  of  the 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  127 

assets  of  any  water  company  in  any  condemnation 
suit  brought  by  the  public  for  the  purpose  of  effect- 
ing public  ownership. 

The  foregoing  is  said  with  a  full  appreciation  of 
the  fact  that  lawyers  generally  would  consider  law 
based  on  the  above  suggestion  as  impractical,  con- 
fiscatory, and  unconstitutional.  Nevertheless,  the 
law  that  regulates  public  water  rates  to  the  extent 
that  they  are  regulated  is  of  the  same  nature,  and 
it  was  meant  to  go  just  as  far  as  the  one  suggested. 
Long  ago,  when  the  present  laws  for  the  regulat- 
ing of  water  rates  were  first  discussed,  many  law- 
yers argued  that  these  laws  were  unconstitutional 
and  confiscatory.  This  argument  was  made  by  these 
lawyers,  although  no  principle  in  law  is  much  more 
strongly  established  than  the  one  which  allows  leg- 
islative bodies  the  right  to  fix  the  rates  of  charges  in 
any  business  that  partakes  of  a  public  nature.  Our 
legislature  acted  well  within  its  powers  when  it  en- 
acted a  law  that  attempted  to  regulate  our  public 
water  rates.  The  law  that  was  enacted  is,  however, 
only  partially  operative,  because  the  courts  have 
interpreted  it  so  as  to  allow  the  rate  to  be  in  a 
measure  based  on  a  changeable  valuation  of  the 
water  right,  —  a  right  which,  under  certain  re- 
strictions, was  given  to  the  appropriator  by  the 
public.  It  is  apparent  that  as  long  as  the  valuation 


128    REDEEM   NATIONAL   RESOURCES 

of  the  water  right  per  miner's  inch  can  be  raised 
from  time  to  time,  any  law  attempting  to  fix  water 
rates  on  a  percentage  basis  of  the  combined  value 
of  the  water  plants  and  water  rights  becomes  par- 
tially inoperative.  For  the  purpose  of  carrying  out 
at  least  in  part  the  evident  intent  of  the  statutes 
fixing  our  water  rates,  all  water  rights  must  soon 
be  given  a  maximum  legal  valuation,  and  this  valu- 
ation should  not  be  excessive. 

In  order  to  show  the  power  of  our  legislatures  to 
regulate  private  enterprise  when  public  interest  is 
seriously  affected,  one  need  only  refer  to  the  historic 
suit  of  Munn  versus  Illinois,^  tried  before  the  Su-' 
preme  Court  of  the  United  States  in  1876.  This 
suit  was  brought  to  restrain  the  state  of  Illinois 
from  fixing  a  maximum  rate  for  the  storage  of  grain 
in  privately  owned  grain  elevators  in  all  cities  of  over 
one  hundred  thousand  population.  Chicago  was  at 
that  time  the  only  large  city  in  the  state.  Although 
every  sentence  in  the  opinion  delivered  by  Chief 
Justice  Waite  is  most  interesting,  we  will  quote 
only  in  part :  — 

"Enough  has  already  been  said  to  show  that, 
when  private  property  is  devoted  to  a  public  use,  it 
is  subject  to  public  regulation.  It  remains  only  to 
ascertain  whether  the  warehouses  of  these  plaintiffs 

^  Supreme  Court  Decisions,  book  94,  U.  S.,  p.  113. 


HELP   THE   SCHOOLS  129 

in  error,  and  the  business  which  is  carried  on  there, 
come  within  the  operation  of  this  principle." 

Next  to  the  air  we  breathe,  water  is  of  the  most 
vital  importance  to  the  public,  and  any  private 
corporation  in  the  business  of  supplying  water  to 
the  public  has  its  property  "  devoted  to  a  public 
use."  If,  therefore,  it  was  constitutional  to  fix  the 
price  of  storing  grain  at  the  rate  of  two  cents  per 
bushel,  it  must  be  equally  constitutional  to  prevent 
the  basing  of  water  rates  in  part  on  a  valuation  of 
a  water  right  that  can  be  increased  as  the  demand 
for  water  increases,  or  for  any  other  cause.  In 
other  words,  if  it  is  constitutional  for  the  legisla- 
ture to  make  a  fixed  rate  for  the  storing  of  grain 
in  privately  owned  warehouses,  it  must  be  constitu- 
tional to  make  a  fixed  value  for  the  water  rights 
upon  which  a  water  rate  is  to  be  based.  This  looks 
especially  reasonable  when  it  is  borne  in  mind  that 
the  water  right  was  granted  by  the  government  to 
the  original  appropriator  free  of  cost. 

For  the  sake  of  information  we  will  again  quote 
from  the  opinion  of  Chief  Justice  Waite  :  — 

"  Neither  is  it  a  matter  of  any  moment  that  no 
precedent  can  be  found  for  a  statute  precisely  like 
this.  It  is  conceded  that  the  business  is  one  of  re- 
cent origin,  that  its  growth  has  been  rapid,  and 
that  it  is  already  of  great  importance.  And  it  must 


130    REDEEM   NATIONAL  RESOURCES 

also  be  conceded  that  it  is  a  business  in  which  the 
whole  public  has  a  du-ect  and  positive  interest.  It 
presents,  therefore,  a  case  for  the  application  of  a 
long-known  and  well-established  principle  in  social 
science,  and  this  statute  simply  extends  the  law  so 
as  to  meet  this  new  development  of  commercial 
progress. 

"  It  matters  not  in  this  case  that  these  plaintiffs 
in  error  had  built  their  warehouses  and  established 
their  business  before  the  regulations  complained  of 
were  adopted.  What  they  did  was,  from  the  be- 
ginning, subject  to  the  power  of  the  body  politic 
to  require  them  to  conform  to  such  regiilations  as 
might  be  established  by  the  proper  authorities  for 
the  common  good.  They  entered  upon  their  busi- 
ness and  provided  themselves  with  the  means  to 
carry  it  on  subject  to  this  condition. 

"  We  kuow  that  this  is  a  power  which  may  be 
abused ;  but  that  is  no  argument  against  its  existence. 
For  protection  against  abuses  by  Legislatures  the 
people  must  resort  to  the  polls,  not  to  the  courts." 

A  great  many  subsequent  Supreme  Court  decis- 
ions confirm  the  principles  laid  down  in  the  case 
quoted.  These  citations  from  the  opinion  of  Chief 
Justice  W^aite  could  be  made  the  basis  of  a  law 
which  would  seem  both  reasonable  and  constitu- 
tional, if  it  provided  as  follows :  — 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  131 

1.  Water  rights  not  yet  legally  appropriated 
shall  be  given  no  money  value  in  future  proceedings 
conducted  to  determine  public  water  rates,  nor  in 
future  calcidations  conducted  to  determine  the  price 
to  be  paid  by  the  public  for  acquiring  a  water  plant 
using  any  such  water  supply. 

2.  Any  owner  of  a  water  right,  if  he  believes  it 
to  be  of  money  value  at  the  present  time,  may 
make  affidavit  setting  forth  his  claims.  These  affi- 
davits must  set  forth  all  the  evidence  in  support  of 
the  value  claimed.  All  affidavits  must  be  filed  with 
a  "  Water  Court "  within  one  year  after  the  date  on 
which  the  law  goes  into  effect. 

3.  For  the  purpose  of  establishing  an  "  appraised 
value,"  the  proper  public  officer  shall,  without  de- 
lay, bring  suit  against  every  person  filing  such  affi- 
davit in  any  Water  Court.  Each  such  suit  for  "ap- 
praised value  "  shall  be  separately  conducted  on  its 
merits.  With  special  restrictions,  these  price-fixing 
suits  shall  be  tried  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  fol- 
lowed in  suits  for  the  condemnation  of  private  pro- 
perty for  public  use. 

4.  Any  price  so  fixed  by  the  Water  Court  for 
such  water  right  shall  be  forever  the  maximum  fig- 
ure on  which  a  profit  may  be  calculated  in  deter- 
mining public  water  rates  ;  this  price  also  shall  be 
forever  the  maximum  that  the  public  shall  be  re- 


132    REDEEM   NATIONAL   RESOURCES 

quired  to  pay  for  the  water  in  case  of  condemnation 
by  suit  to  acquire  the  water  plant  using  such  water. 
6.  All  water  rights  at  present  appropriated,  as  to 
the  value  of  which  no  affidavit  has  been  filed  within 
the  legal  limit  of  one  year,  shall  be  considered  as 
having  no  money  value  in  the  proceedings  de- 
scribed in  the  first  clause  hereof. 

6.  This  " appraised  value  "  of  water  rights  shall 
be  subject  to  reduction  for  cause,  through  proceed- 
ings properly  brought ;  but  it  shall  not  be  subject 
to  such  reduction  oftener  than  once  in  ten  years, 
unless  it  be  reduced  for  reasons  of  equity  in  a  con- 
demnation suit  brought  at  any  time  by  the  public 
for  the  acquiring  of  the  water  plant  which  is  using 
the  water. 

7.  Any  community  using  water  supplied  by  a 
private  water  company  may,  by  means  of  the  usual 
proceedings,  annually  determine  the  rate  to  be 
paid  for  water.  This  rate  shall  be  calculated  to 
yield  a  profit  of  not  over  five  per  cent  on  the  ap- 
praised value  of  such  part  of  the  water  right  as  is 
actually  used,  and  a  net  profit  of  a  percentage  to 
be  determined  on  the  value  of  the  development 
work;  and  in  addition  a  net  profit  of  a  percentage 
to  be  determined  on  the  original  cost  of  the  real 
estate  investments  necessary  for  the  protection  of 
the  water  right. 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  133 

8.  This  clause  might  show  in  detail  how  the  net 
value  of  the  development  work  shall  be  ascertained, 
and  how  to  determine  which  real  estate  shall  be 
considered  necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  water 
right. 

9.  This  clause  might  give  the  public  the  power 
to  raise  the  water  rate  when,  in  its  opinion,  such 
action  shall  be  necessary  in  order  to  curtail  the 
consumption  of  water.  The  extra  profit  due  to  such 
increase  in  rates  shall  be  turned  over  to  the  public 
treasury  for  various  purposes,  first  among  which 
shall  be  that  of  perfecting  and  enlarging  the  water 
system  whenever  necessary.  The  part  of  the  sys- 
tem built  with  this  extra  profit  shall  belong  to  the 
public. 

10.  Nothing  herein  contained  shall  be  taken  or 
construed  as  applying  to  privately  owned  water 
rights,  the  water  of  which  is  used  only  on  the  lands 
of  the  owners  of  the  water. 

It  may  be  considered  too  radical  a  principle  of 
law  that  permits  the  permanent  fixing  of  a  price  of 
an  asset  belonging  to  a  privately  owned  public  busi- 
ness, but  in  cases  where  that  asset  was  given  to  the 
appropriator  by  the  state  without  special  compensa- 
tion, and  where  the  principle  is  applied  to  a  ne- 
cessity so  indispensable  as  water,  this  principle  of 
law  can  only  be  considered  a  next  legal  step  in  eco- 


134    KEDEEM  NATIONAL  RESOURCES 

noinic  progress.  It  is  possible  that  conditions  are 
not  yet  ripe  for  the  application  of  this  principle  to 
all  privately  owned  businesses  of  a  public  nature, 
but  the  water  business  is  so  well  understood  by  the 
public,  and  the  need  of  pure  water  is  so  well  known, 
that  the  public  can  be  better  trusted  with  this 
branch  of  the  public  economy  than  can  private 
water  companies. 

The  above  arguments  for  a  law  to  fix  maximum 
prices  for  water  rights  for  the  purposes  stated  are 
equally  applicable  to  a  similar  law  in  regard  to 
the  numerous  water-power  rights  that  are  being  so 
eagerly  grasped  by  private  individuals.  The  present 
laws  relating  to  these  latter  rights  were  perhaps 
reasonable  enough  when  they  were  made,  but  under 
present  conditions  they  are  a  menace  to  the  public 
good.  These  laws  were  enacted  when  the  present 
electrical  appliances  for  utilizing  this  water  power 
were  as  yet  in  their  incipiency,  and  when,  in  com- 
parison with  present  methods,  it  was  a  Herculean 
task  to  bring  the  water  power  from  the  falls  in  the 
mountains  to  the  city  situated  many  miles  distant. 
At  that  time  relatively  few  of  the  water-power 
rights  were  appropriated.  As  great  profit-making 
enterprises,  they  were  less  attractive  than  at  pre- 
sent. However,  by  reason  of  the  unprecedented  de- 
velopment along  the  lines  of  electrical  machinery. 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  135 

the  values  of  these  rights,  from  the  standpoint  of 
unregulated  private  ownership,  have  increased  prob- 
ably more  than  a  hundred  fold.  Private  citizens 
whose  vocations  have  taught  them  to  appreciate 
the  new  and  increased  value  of  these  water-power 
rights  are  appropriating  them  with  feverish  haste, 
and  this  appropriation  is  effected  in  ways  which  do 
not  always  conform  to  the  evident  intent  of  exist- 
ing laws.  These  citizens  well  realize  that  the  laws 
relating  to  water-power  rights  may  soon  be  made 
more  exacting,  and  their  desire  is  to  outstrip  the 
lawmakers  by  hastily  appropriating  all  such  rights 
as  are  stiU  left  unclaimed. 

In  the  course  of  twenty  years  the  interests  own- 
ing the  various  power  rights  will  inevitably  be 
merged  with  the  railway  interests.  By  that  time,  if 
legislation  favors,  the  California  water-power  rights 
alone  can  easily  be  made  to  yield  an  annual  profit 
of  many  millions  of  dollars.  Such  large  annual 
profits  would  be  a  heavy  burden  on  the  five  millions 
of  people  who  may  inhabit  the  state  twenty  years 
hence.  However,  the  greatest  loss  to  the  public 
will  not  be  the  payment  of  these  millions  of  dollars 
in  annual  profits ;  it  will  be  the  official  corruption 
due  to  the  misuse  of  a  part  of  these  millions  in  the 
legislative  departments  of  our  government.  Con- 
temporary history  teaches  that  the  combined  finan- 


136    REDEEM  NATIONAL   RESOURCES 

cial  forces  of  the  water-power  and  railway  inter- 
ests wUl  be  controlled  largely  by  men  consciously 
or  unconsciously  lacking  in  public  morals.  Public 
morals,  generally  speaking,  will  advance  greatly 
in  twenty  years,  and  corruptors  will  find  operation 
ever  more  hazardous.  Nevertheless,  if  we  carelessly 
and  recklessly  continue  to  place  great  public  prop- 
erties in  the  hands  of  men  who  have  little  inter- 
est in  the  public  welfare,  we  must  expect  to  see 
the  present  steady  advance  in  public  morals  most 
seriously  checked  by  this  increased  power  to  cor- 
rupt our  civic  life.  When  we  offer  great  public  re- 
sources to  enterprising  individuals  without  proper 
restrictions  to  prevent  abnormal  profit,  we  attract 
a  large  percentage  of  men  too  grasping  to  be 
interested  in  a  profit  that  is  merely  fair.  This 
grasping  class  of  men  adopt  business  methods  that 
either  force  out  of  the  business  those  who  have 
public  morals,  or  force  these  other  men  to  adopt 
similar  methods  in  order  to  preserve  their  interests. 
The  public,  of  course,  pays  all  the  loss. 

No  good  reason  appears  why  aU  remaining  na- 
tional resources  of  forests,  coal,  oil,  and  metals 
shoidd  not  immediately  be  set  aside  as  public  prop- 
erty, and  leased  out  for  varying  terms,  or  possibly 
operated  as  suggested  in  the  foregoing  by  means  of 
public  works  schools.    In  order  to  redeem  public 


HELP  THE   SCHOOLS  137 

resources,  we  are  in  great  need  of  a  law  similar  to 
the  one  herein  suggested,  and  we  must  soon  have 
political  conditions  which  will  enable  the  public  to 
pass  such  laws.  The  public  is  accustomed  to  seeing 
the  considerable  profit  made  on  national  resources 
pass  to  private  interests.  After  the  redemption  of 
any  such  resource,  no  one  would  suffer  if  a  share 
of  the  profit  saved  by  reason  of  public  ownership 
were  turned  over  for  school  purposes,  especially  if 
the  school  should  cooperate  in  making  successful 
the  public  management  of  the  resource. 


A  STUDY  IN  KINSHIP :  CHURCH 
AND  SCHOOL^ 

Let  us  suppose  that  thirty  years  ago  a  ship  was 
wrecked  near  an  unknown  island,  and  that  among 
the  passengers  there  were  twenty  children  varying 
from  three  to  nine  months  of  age.  The  ship  struck 
an  outlying  rock,  and  the  captain  saw  that  the  ves- 
sel was  so  badly  damaged  that  it  must  be  aban- 
doned. A  terrific  storm  drove  them  far  out  of  any 
established  course,  and  during  the  storm  all  the 
life-boats  were  swept  away.  A  raft  was  hastily 
constructed,  and  all  the  children  were  secured  to 
this  and  sent  to  shore  with  a  sailor  and  his 
wife.  Mother  love,  facing  necessity,  induced  the 
mothers  to  part  with  their  children  in  this  way. 
The  sea  was  unusually  calm,  and  no  fears  arose  in 
regard  to  the  safety  of  the  children.  The  intention 
was  to  draw  back  the  raft  by  means  of  an  attached 

^  For  a  century  or  more,  the  main  thought  expressed  in  "  A 
Study  in  Kinship  "  has  been  generally  accepted  as  true.  Never- 
theless, until  each  individual  church  takes  a  keen  interest  in  both 
the  elementary  and  the  secondary  education  of  each  of  its  young 
people,  there  is  reason  for  repeating  the  thought  in  one  form  or 
another. 


CHURCH  AND  SCHOOL  139 

rope,  and,  meantime,  to  construct  other  rafts.  But 
before  the  first  raft  landed,  the  boiler  of  the  ship 
exploded,  and  the  ship,  released  from  the  rock, 
quickly  sank.  All  on  board  were  either  kiUed  or 
drowned.  The  one  sailor  whose  life  was  saved 
wrote  these  particulars  of  the  shipwreck  in  a  note- 
book which  was  found  thirty  years  later. 

This  old  notebook  records  that  the  sailor  and  his 
wife  landed  safely  and  found  on  the  island  a  par- 
ticularly large,  intelligent,  and  docile  species  of 
monkey  not  yet  known  to  the  outside  world.  Ac- 
cording to  the  notes,  the  sailor's  wife  won  the  con- 
fidence of  these  animals,  and  soon  induced  the 
mothers  among  the  monkeys  to  adopt,  nurse,  and 
protect  the  babies.  The  monkeys  were  very  imi- 
tative, and  were  quickly  taught  the  essentials  neces- 
sary for  the  welfare  of  the  children.  The  notebook 
said  that  the  children  throve  from  the  start ;  it  also 
said  that  the  sailor  and  his  wife,  as  the  result  of 
an  accident,  hardly  expected  to  live.  This,  the 
last  entry,  was  written  six  months  after  the  ship- 
wreck. As  the  notebook  told  no  more,  the  lives  of 
the  two  guardians  must  have  ended  as  the  sailor 
feared.  At  this  time  the  older  children  were  but 
little  over  a  year  old. 

Now  let  us  suppose  that  thirty  years  later  ex- 
plorers who  landed  on  the  island  found  the  twenty 


140  A  STUDY   IN   KINSHIP 

stranded  children  and  their  offspring  in  good  health, 
but  living  and  acting  much  like  the  wild  animals 
that  shared  the  island  with  them.  The  few  words 
that  the  older  children  had  learned  from  the  sailor 
and  his  wife  had  been  forgotten.  Under  such  cir- 
cimistances,  a  simple  gibberish  similar  to  that  used 
by  the  monkeys  was  as  near  to  language  as  any- 
thing that  could  be  developed  in  thirty  years.  By 
means  of  this  gibberish  they  could  express  pain, 
fear,  indifference,  irritability,  anger,  jealousy,  hatred, 
and  other  like  states  of  mind,  as  well  as  the  oppo- 
site states. 

If  left  to  themselves,  how  many  thousand  years 
would  it  take  these  isolated  men  and  women  to 
reach  a  stage  of  civiHzation  equal  to  that  of  old 
Rome  ?  And  to  these  thousands  of  years  must  be 
added  at  least  two  thousand  more  before  they 
could  reach  our  present  stage  of  civilization. 

Our  forefathers,  at  the  time  of  earliest  recorded 
history,  were  subject  to  a  superstitious  fear  of 
storms  and  other  unusual  phenomena.  Each  of 
these  phenomena  was  probably  connected  in  their 
minds  with  some  imaginary  supernatural  personal- 
ity, and  this  fear  was  the  nearest  approach  to  re- 
ligion then  extant.  The  thought-processes  of  our 
islanders  coidd  hardly  be  called  cerebration  ;  indeed, 
in  comparison  with  their  mental  activity,  tlie  super- 


CHURCH   AND   SCHOOL  141 

stitious  fear  ascribed  to  our  forefathers  in  the  first 
dawn  of  history  was  a  brilliant  mental  state. 

If  the  explorers  should  bring  the  twenty  islanders 
and  their  children  to  New  York,  the  churches  and 
philanthropic  societies  would  at  once  cooperate  to 
educate  them.  As  a  result  of  this  effort,  the  chil- 
dren of  these  islanders  would  in  twenty  years  be 
as  enlightened  as  is  the  average  university  grad- 
uate. Thus  we  see  that,  by  taking  advantage  of 
intercourse  with  educated  people  and  of  the  pre- 
sent school  organization  with  its  accumulation  of 
knowledge  and  wisdom,  we  accomplish,  by  way  of 
enlightenment,  as  much  in  twenty  years  as  would 
require  thousands  of  years  on  the  isolated  island. 

Let  us  again  suppose  that  we  were  entrusted 
with  the  finding  of  homes  for  twenty  orphaned 
children  from  three  to  nine  months  old,  and  that 
these  children  were  in  every  way  equal  to  the  in- 
fants whom  we  described  as  shipwrecked.  Suppose 
that  these  children  were  given  to  twenty  of  the 
most  illiterate  and  poorest  homes  of  the  slum  dis- 
tricts of  some  great  city,  —  districts  where  primary 
education  was  very  laxly  enforced,  and  where  the 
children,  when  only  nine  or  ten  years  of  age,  were 
set  at  work  that  stunts  their  growth.  AUow  the 
children  to  develop  under  these  conditions,  without 
enlightened  aid,  until  they  are  twenty-five  years  of 


142  A   STUDY   IN   KINSHIP 

age,  and  what  would  be  the  result?  Some  would 
not  even  learn  to  read ;  only  a  few  would  learn 
more  than  the  rudiments  of  reading.  Their  spoken 
language  could  be  no  other  than  that  used  by  ignor- 
ant and  oftentimes  vicious  people,  —  vicious,  how- 
ever, only  by  force  of  circumstances.  The  vocabu- 
lary used  by  any  person  developed  under  such 
conditions  would  of  necessity  be  extremely  limited. 
In  some  cases  so  much  slum  vernacular  would  enter 
his  speech  as  to  make  it  difficult  for  the  average 
person  to  grasp  his  meaning. 

We  learn  and  reason  largely  by  means  of  lan- 
guage. We  have  seen  that  without  language  and 
without  association  with  enlightened  minds,  we  can 
acquire  but  little  knowledge  beyond  that  which  is 
common  to  lower  animals.  With  a  very  limited 
vocabulary,  and  with  association  confined  to  those 
who  are  no  better  enlightened,  there  can  be  little 
opportunity  of  rising  above  the  semi-barbarian  in 
intelligence.  Some  barbarians,  without  doubt,  have 
better  opportunities  to  develop  moral  and  ethical 
intelligence  than  have  many  of  our  fellow-citizens 
who  live  in  the  close  confines  of  some  of  the  least 
favorable  sections  of  large  cities.  For  such  men  to 
have  any  clearly-defined  religious  thought  is  impos- 
sible ;  they  have  neither  the  opportunity  nor  the 
ability  to  learn  from  books  or  from  enlightened 


CHURCH  AND   SCHOOL  143 

discourse.  Where  primary-school  laws  are  not  en- 
forced, hardly  one  of  the  twenty  children  just  men- 
tioned, by  the  time  of  reaching  maturity,  would 
have  extricated  himself  from  his  undesirable  en- 
vironment and  become  a  good  and  valuable  citizen. 
If  one  did  so  extricate  himself,  this  release  might 
be  due  to  his  having  inherited  better  personal  ap- 
pearance, better  health,  or  somewhat  stronger  men- 
tal power.  Some  accidental  incident  may  have  led 
him  into  surroundings  which  afforded  better  oppor- 
timities,  and  these  better  opportunities  may  have 
presented  themselves  in  such  form  and  in  such 
order  that  he  could  readily  take  advantage  of 
them. 

Is  it  not  directly  in  line  with  the  purpose  of  the 
churches  to  see  that  school  laws  are  adequate,  and 
to  see  that  they  are  enforced  until  they  extend  to 
the  last  child  of  school  age  that  is  out  of  school  ? 
Some  children  are  too  poor  to  go  to  school.  Is  it 
not  the  part  of  wisdom  of  the  churches  to  provide 
the  means  for  elementary  school  attendance  of  all 
children  not  otherwise  provided  for  ?  Will  not  this 
be  the  duty  of  the  churches  until  all  states  have 
laws  to  provide  the  means  for  the  school  attendance 
of  the  comparatively  few  children  whose  parents 
cannot  so  provide?  It  should  not,  however,  be 
simply  a  matter  of  sending  these  children  to  school 


144  A   STUDY   IN   KINSHIP 

for  a  few  months  each  year ;  the  same  supervising 
care  should  see  that  they,  as  well  as  all  other  chil- 
dren, attend  full  time.  The  church  cannot  do  every- 
thing, but  if  it  has  any  duty  to  itself  and  to  the 
public  beyond  that  of  preaching  to  people  as  it  finds 
them,  it  is  to  look  carefully  after  the  elementary 
school  training  of  children.  This  training  will  al- 
ways be  the  best  part  of  the  foundation  on  which 
church  work  is  built. 

Some  men  believe  that  assistance  of  every  kind 
pauperizes  character.  These  men  say,  "  The  one  of 
the  twenty  slum  inhabitants  who  advanced  beyond 
the  nineteen  was  the  only  one  fit  to  advance."  They 
also  say,  "  Nature's  law,  the  survival  of  the  fittest, 
should  have  unobstructed  sway ;  the  nineteen  were 
inferior,  and  should  be  left  at  the  bottom  until 
nature  disposes  of  them  by  elimination,  for  other- 
wise society  will  not  grow  permanently  better." 

Perhaps  some  of  these  men  were  themselves  sent 
to  the  elementary  school  merely  because  the  law  or 
the  custom  demanded  that  they  should  go.  Surely 
what  they  learned  in  school  and  out  of  school  was 
principally  knowledge  that  was  bequeathed  by  past 
generations.  Why  do  not  these  men  argue  that  each 
succeeding  generation  should  start  at  the  beginning 
and  rediscover  existing  knowledge  and  redevelop 
a  school  system,  —  all  in  order  that  character  be 


CHURCH  AND   SCHOOL  145 

not  pauperized  ?  If  all  of  the  twenty  children  in 
the  supposed  instance  were  compelled  to  attend  the 
primary  school,  and  were  given  wise  opportunity 
for  further  improvement,  it  could  hardly  be  said 
that  only  one  would  make  a  good  and  valuable  citi- 
zen ;  it  is  more  likely  that  four,  six,  ten,  twelve,  or 
even  more  would  do  equally  as  well. 

At  the  present  time  but  few  object  to  free  pub- 
lic elementary  schools,  and  but  few  more  object  to 
giving  state  aid  to  poor  elementary-school  pupils. 
Not  many  thoughtful  people  now  object  to  com- 
pulsory elementary-school  attendance.  Five  or  six 
decades  ago  there  were  many  who  objected  seriously 
to  all  of  these  things.  On  the  other  hand,  many  peo- 
ple are  at  present  objecting  to  the  public  high 
school;  they  do  not  understand  the  great  future 
necessity  for  this  institution,  or  its  possibilities. 
The  democracy  of  the  past  was  based  on  our  elemen- 
tary-school system.  The  advanced  democracy  that 
the  early  future  promises  must  be  based  on  an  im- 
proved and  enlarged  high-school  system.  But  en- 
larged high-school  capacity  will  do  no  good  unless 
increased  attendance  follows.  High-school  attend- 
ance is  relatively  expensive,  and  many  parents  can- 
not furnish  the  means  to  support  a  family  of  chil- 
dren through  a  high-school  course.  Nevertheless, 
the  majority  of  young  people  must  soon  take  this 


146  A  STUDY  IN  KINSHIP 

course.  Here  also  is  a  large  and  difficult  problem, 
and  one  which  the  churches  can  help  to  solve. 

Would  the  one  child  previously  mentioned  as 
succeeding  on  his  own  initiative  beyond  the  nineteen 
be  discouraged,  if  the  education  of  the  nineteen 
and  of  himself  were  fostered  as  just  suggested?  If 
his  advancement  beyond  the  nineteen  was  due  not 
to  accident,  but  to  superior  ability,  would  he  not 
still  possess  that  superior  ability,  and  would  he  not 
on  this  account  continue  in  advance  of  the  nineteen  ? 
Would  not  the  nineteen  make  a  new  and  higher 
standard  for  the  abler  one  to  surpass  ?  If  the  nine- 
teen, through  better  opportunity,  raise  themselves, 
the  superior  one,  by  reason  of  the  same  bettered 
opportunity,  could  surely  maintain  a  part  of  his 
former  measure  of  superiority.  The  law  relating  to 
the  survival  of  the  fittest  would  not  be  antagonized. 
On  the  contrary,  the  requirements  for  unusual  success 
would  be  made  more  exacting,  and  Nature's  elimina- 
tion of  any  truly  undesirable  elements  would  still  go 
on.  Such  a  result  should  satisfy  those  who  fear  that 
aid  in  the  form  of  opportunity  pauperizes  character. 

The  progressive  element  of  our  people  might  well 
advocate  aid  in  addition  to  that  which  obliges  the 
parent  to  send  his  child  through  a  full  elementary- 
school  course,  and  in  addition  to  that  which,  when 
strictly  necessary,  obliges  the  public  to  pay  part  or 


CHURCH  AND   SCHOOL  147 

all  of  the  personal  expenses  incident  to  a  child's 
attending  the  elementary  school.  To  supply  to  any 
properly  recommended  young  man  of  sixteen  an  op- 
portunity to  work  at  fair  wages  for  the  purpose  of 
earning  his  way  through  a  secondary  school  would 
be  aid  of  the  greatest  value.  Is  it  not  time  for  the 
public  and  for  the  church  to  make  a  business  of 
thus  providing  work  ?  To  be  sure,  such  a  plan  for 
public  aid  would  deprive  the  self-supporting  stu- 
dents of  the  experience  to  be  gained  from  finding 
suitable  work  for  themselves,  but  the  experience  so 
lost  would  soon  be  gained  while  seeking  employ- 
ment after  graduating  from  the  high  school. 

Now  suppose  we  have  a  third  group  of  twenty 
children  of  the  same  ages,  and  in  every  way  equal 
to  those  described  as  having  been  placed  in  pov- 
erty-stricken houses  of  slum  districts.  Suppose  that 
this  third  group  is  given  to  twenty  families  who 
live  in  a  better  part  of  the  city,  a  part  where  it  is 
customary  to  send  children  to  school  until  they  have 
completed  the  eighth  grade,  and  where  they  are  ex- 
pected to  go  to  work  upon  leaving  that  grade.  Let 
us  assume  that  all  of  the  twenty  will  creditably  pass 
the  eighth  grade,  and  will  then  enter  some  field  of 
industry.  Judging  from  past  experience,  hardly  one 
out  of  a  dozen  who  leave  school  at  the  close  of  the 
eighth  grade  will  afterwards  augment  his  store  of 


148  A   STUDY   IN   KINSHIP 

knowledge  in  any  systematic  way.  At  the  close  of 
the  eighth  grade  the  reasoning  power  is  usually  not 
developed  to  such  a  point  that  it  is  foUowed  by  a 
spontaneous  growth  which  enables  the  individual 
to  cope  with  religious,  social,  and  political  ques- 
tions. At  this  period  the  storing  of  fimdamental 
secondary  knowledge  has  just  begun,  and  a  fund 
of  this  knowledge  is  an  invaluable  aid  in  the  solu- 
tion of  such  questions.  Nevertheless,  the  majority  of 
this  group  of  twenty  would  make  what  we  at  present 
call  good  and  valuable  citizens ;  some  of  them,  in 
fact,  would  be  among  the  best.  But  a  store  of  sec- 
ondary knowledge,  however  acquired,  is  quite  as 
essential  for  what  we  call  manhood-thought  as  a 
knowledge  of  the  alphabetical  sounds  is  for  child- 
hood reading.  Without  manhood-thought  there  can 
be  no  intellectual  happiness  and  no  satisfying  re- 
ligion. Then  why  not,  regardless  of  any  reasonable 
sacrifice,  provide  means  for  our  youth  to  acquire  the 
essentials  of  a  secondary  education? 

At  the  prime  of  life  the  average  man  whose  school 
experience  ended  with  the  eighth  grade,  and  whose 
part  of  the  world's  work  is  manual,  does  his  think- 
ing and  expresses  his  thought  with  a  vocabulary 
of  about  twenty  thousand  *  words  fairly  well  used. 

^  The  Popular  Science  Monthly,  vol.  Ixx,  p.  378,  gives  this  esti- 
mate of  the  number  of  words  used  by  men  with  only  a  coramon- 
Bchool  education,  but  who  are  readers  of  books  and  periodicals. 


CHURCH  AND   SCHOOL  149 

In  the  field  of  thought,  and  in  other  ways,  this  man 
has  a  great  advantage  over  the  previously  described 
man  who  was  virtually  without  school  opportuni- 
ties and  who  developed  in  the  poorest  section  of  the 
city. 

Now  let  us  suppose  a  fourth  group  of  twenty 
children  in  every  way  equal  to  those  we  have  con- 
sidered. Place  these  children  where  they  will  grow 
to  manhood  in  a  part  of  the  city  that  would  insure 
healthful  physical  and  moral  surroundings,  and 
where  they  would  be  sent  to  school  through  the 
tweKth  grade.  Suppose  the  high  school  that  these 
children  attend  is  one  of  the  more  efficient  ones,  — 
a  school  in  which  the  special  abilities  of  the  students 
are  likely  to  be  discovered,  and  in  which  an  earnest 
desire  to  accomplish  something  of  value  within  the 
range  of  these  abilities  develops  into  an  impelling 
pleasure.  By  the  time  he  approaches  middle  life, 
the  average  earnest  high-school  graduate  reasons 
and  expresses  his  thought  with  a  vocabulary  of  about 
thirty-five  thousand  *  words  correctly  used. 

In  the  field  of  thought,  the  successful  high-school 
graduate  has  an  advantage  over  the  eighth-grade 
graduate  similar  to  that  which  a  carpenter  with  a 
systematic  training  and  a  fair  equipment  of  tools 
has  over  a  carpenter  without  systematic  training 
1  The  Popular  Science  Monthly,  vol.  Ixx,  p.  378. 


150  A  STUDY   IN  KINSHIP 

and  with  a  relatively  poor  supply  of  tools.  In  other 
words,  the  man  who  uses  thirty-five  thousand  words 
correctly  may  expect  to  learn  much  more  from 
daily  practice  and  vStudy,  and  he  may  reasonably 
expect  his  life  to  be  relatively  more  effective  and 
happy  and  more  nearly  in  harmony  with  the  world 
than  if  his  school  career  had  been  checked  so  that 
his  vocabulary  was  limited  to  twenty  thousand 
words.  The  numbers  twenty  thousand  and  thir- 
ty-five thousand  do  not  represent  the  true  pro- 
portionate difference  in  the  intelligence  of  an 
average  man  from  each  of  the  two  classes.  As  a 
rule,  the  man  having  the  larger  vocabulary  uses 
his  words  more  accurately.  This  greater  accuracy 
makes  the  larger  vocabulary  comparatively  of  much 
greater  value  than  its  numerical  size  would  indi- 
cate. When  we  consider  that  every  word  is  a  tool  of 
thought,  it  becomes  easy  to  appreciate  how  it  may 
be  an  immeasurable  advantage  to  have  the  larger 
vocabulary,  and  to  have  a  better  understanding  of 
the  words  comprising  it.  This  advantage  is  of  both 
economic  and  social  value. 

We  do  not  mean  to  imply  that  a  high-school 
graduate  always  develops  into  a  man  who  is  su- 
perior to  the  eighth-grade  graduate.  This  would  be 
far  from  the  truth.  In  making  comparisons  we 
must  not  take  into  account  the  high-school  gradu- 


CHURCH  AND   SCHOOL  151 

ate  who  had  no  mauly  purpose  in  going  to  school. 
A  considerable  percentage  of  our  high-school  stu- 
dents are  sons  of  rich  and  well-to-do  parents,  and 
these  young  people  do  not  feel  the  spur  of  immedi- 
ate necessity  to  drive  them  into  making  good  use 
of  their  school  days.  Such  of  these  boys  who  lack 
the  common  sense  to  desire  a  good  secondary  edu- 
cation often  shamefully  misuse  their  own  time  and 
that  of  the  school.  It  is  not  infrequently  the  case 
that  rich  and  well-to-do  parents  have  children  who, 
by  reason  of  false  training  or  almost  the  total  lack 
of  training,  have  lost  their  ability  to  get  from  a  sec- 
ondary education  the  good  that  it  possesses.  This 
does  not  alter  the  fact  that  the  average  boy  who  has, 
with  earnestness,  obtained  a  secondary-school  edu- 
cation, in  nearly  every  case  has  made  himself  super- 
ior to  what  he  would  have  been  had  he  left  school 
at  the  close  of  the  eighth  grade. 

Suppose  that  the  entire  twenty  boys  referred  to, 
after  leaving  high  school,  become  so  situated  in  act- 
ive life  that  the  majority  of  those  with  whom  they 
come  in  contact  are  equally  enlightened,  or  even 
more  enlightened.  It  must  be  evident  that  the 
opportunity  of  such  men  to  enjoy  life  and  to  develop 
character  would,  as  a  rule,  be  far  greater  than  that 
of  the  previously  described  groups  of  twenty  who 
receive   no   secondary-school  education,  and  who 


162  A  STUDY  IN  KINSHIP 

live  and  develop  within  a  society  in  which  the  aver- 
age individual  has  accumulated  noticeably  less 
knowledge  and  has  developed  proportionally  less 
reasoning  power. 

As  suggested  before,  and  as  is  quite  seK-evident, 
a  thorough  high-school  education  is  necessary  before 
self-instruction  becomes  easily  possible  and  in  a 
measure  spontaneous.  The  number  of  earnest  high- 
school  graduates  who  have  in  after  life  firmly  fixed 
the  habit  of  a  quiet  study  hour  each  evening  is 
smaller  than  it  should  be,  yet  it  is  proportionally 
far  greater  than  that  of  a  corresponding  number  of 
those  without  high-school  training.  In  the  course 
of  fifteen  or  twenty  years  a  man  who  spends  from 
five  to  ten  hours  weekly  in  the  systematic  study  of 
wisely  selected  topics  will  be  on  a  higher  plane 
than  he  would  have  been  had  his  time  not  been 
well  directed.  With  a  companion  or  companions  in 
the  study  hours,  this  method  yields  the  highest 
pleasure  of  which  the  mind  is  capable,  and,  in  the 
course  of  years,  the  accumulated  result  outweighs 
all  that  material  wealth  could  buy,  —  here  is  shown 
the  greatest  advantage  that  may  accrue  to  the 
earnest  high-school  graduate.  His  quiet  study  hours 
make  possible  satisfying  spiritual  development. 

No  doubt  there  are  many  ways  for  the  church, 
through  a  department  of  education,  to  interest  it- 


CHURCH  AND   SCHOOL  153 

self  in  the  spread  of  secular  knowledge  without  in 
any  way  becoming  entangled  with  the  system  of 
public  education.  The  church,  as  such,  it  need 
hardly  be  said,  can  have  no  moral  right  to  intrude 
on  the  public  school  until  every  member  of  the  com- 
munity concerned  is  voluntarily  affiliated  with  the 
church.  But  it  is  surely  the  duty  of  every  church 
to  see  that  none  of  its  children  are  lacking  in 
thorough  elementary  schooling.  And,  furthermore, 
it  is  surely  the  duty  of  the  church  to  see  that  its 
members  are  ever  willing  to  pay  their  taxes  for  ad- 
ditional elementary  schools  and  for  continually  im- 
proving the  equipment  of  these  schools.  The  church 
should  be  second  to  no  institution  in  calling  for 
necessary  schools,  both  elementary  and  secondary. 
It  should  advocate  the  keeping  of  high-school  facili- 
ties ahead  of  the  demand.  No  doubt  the  rate  of 
increase  in  high-school  taxes  would  be  hastened  by 
this  course,  but  in  order  to  promote  attendance  at 
high  school  and  at  the  same  time  keep  taxes  for 
these  schools  as  low  as  practicable,  a  number  of  pro- 
visions may  be  made  to  enable  young  men  and  yoimg 
women  of  sixteen  years  and  over  to  earn  wages  for 
self-support  and  tuition  during  a  part  of  each  day 
and  to  attend  school  the  remainder  of  the  day.  * 

^  See  articles  on  "  Public  Works  High  Schools  "  and  "Manufac- 
turing Works  High  Schools." 


154  A  STUDY  IN   KINSHIP 

The  church  that  permits  one  of  its  children  of 
sound  mind  to  reach  sixteen  years  of  age  without 
having  received  a  most  thorough  elementary  educa- 
tion commits  a  well-nigh  irremediable  wrong.  Every 
church  has  among  its  members  eighth-grade  gradu- 
ates who  have  ample  mental  capacity  to  acquire  a 
thorough  secondary  education.  The  church  that 
makes  no  serious  effort  to  see  that  each  such  qual- 
ified graduate  obtains  a  valuable  secondary  educa- 
tion also  commits  a  wrong.  This  wrong,  although 
less  extreme  than  that  described  in  the  former  case, 
is  nevertheless  unpardonable. 

Some  churches  are  located  in  outlying  districts 
where  no  public  high  school  exists,  or  where  the  high- 
school  capacity  is  too  limited  to  accommodate  all 
who  desire  admission.  An  aggressive,  determined 
church  should  not  consider  such  a  condition  an  un- 
surmountable  obstacle.  The  desired  result  could  be 
accomplished,  at  least  in  a  small  measure,  by  evening 
schools,  evening  and  Sunday  study,  and  social  circles, 
all  conducted  within  the  church.  Earnest  high-school 
graduates,  or  other  persons  interested  in  education, 
could  act  as  volunteer  teachers  and  leaders  for  these 
evening  schools  and  circles  until  such  time  as  the 
church  had  succeeded  in  inducing  the  public  to 
provide  adequate  secondary-school  facilities  to  ac- 
commodate all  young  people  who  wished  to  attend. 


CHURCH  AND   SCHOOL  155 

The  churcli  can  further  secondary  education  by 
other  means  also,  and  the  aggressive  church  can 
find  the  means. 

Why  is  that  which  we  call  nature  tangible  or 
sensible  to  us?  Why  have  we  a  desire  for  know- 
ledge and  a  mind  with  which  to  learn,  unless  it  is 
necessary  for  our  development  to  learn  ?  If  it  were 
bad  for  us  to  learn,  nature  would  revolt  at  our 
effort.  Education  is  slowly  revealing  nature,  and 
nature  is  the  tangible,  sensible  evidence  of  God. 
Through  this  evidence  we  can  more  satisfactorily 
contemplate  Him.  Lack  of  a  generally  distributed 
education  is  responsible  for  the  failure  of  the 
church  to  conform  its  ceremonial  details  and  its 
deeper  religious  thought  to  the  revealed  knowledge 
of  God's  law,  a  knowledge  which  would,  if  under- 
stood and  applied,  give  man  a  harmonious  life. 
The  church  early  strayed  from  the  path  of  its 
deeper  usefulness ;  but  of  late,  where  education  has 
had  its  influence,  the  church  is  beginning  to  right 
the  wrongs  which  it  has  committed,  perhaps  un- 
consciously, in  being  the  conservator  of  a  class, 
rather  than  the  teacher  of  humanity. 

If  the  essence  of  this  article  is  not  wholly  wrong, 
is  it  not  the  duty  of  every  fairly  enlightened  church 
to  organize  an  educational  department  which  shall 
stimulate  an  interest  in  school  education  ? 


156  A  STUDY  IN  KINSHIP 

A  few  eastern  churches,  we  are  told,  take  an 
adequate  interest  in  elementary  and  secondary- 
school  education.  Why  do  not  all  churches  take  a 
like  interest?  Is  this  neglect  due  in  part  to  the  fact 
that  it  requires  hard  work,  some  money,  and  a 
spirit  of  democracy  to  aid  in  providing  for  the  laun- 
dress's or  gardener's  child  an  education  equal  to  that 
provided  for  the  child  of  the  wealthier  member?  Is 
the  neglect  due  to  the  undemocratic  fear  that  it  will 
become  still  more  difficult  and  expensive  to  hire 
common  work  done,  or  to  the  selfish  fear  that, 
when  education  becomes  general,  the  rich  and  well- 
to-do  may  be  obliged  to  do  more  nearly  their  share 
of  the  common  work  ?  Surely  not. 


THE  SUNDAY  LEAGUE ' 

"  Presume  not  God  to  scan ; 
The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man." 

Stated  in  the  simplest  form,  the  purpose  of  the 
orthodox  church  is  to  teach  us  how  to  please  God 
and  to  give  us  a  desire  to  please  Him.  The  high- 
est thought  of  this  church  is  open  to  conviction, 
glad  to  receive  suggestions,  and  ready  to  make 
these  suggestions,  if  practicable,  a  part  of  the 
church  work.  In  describing  a  Sunday  League  of 
which  the  main  purpose  is  the  study  of  man,  the 
author  offers  what  seems  to  him  a  working  prin- 
ciple, which,  if  generally  applied,  would  reach  many 
of  the  unchurched  two-thirds,  and  many  of  the 
churched  one-third  who  do  not  find  themselves  fully 
in  accord  with  the  present  system  of  church  work. 
One  purpose  of  the  Sunday  League  is  to  make 
every  individual  strong,  self-possessed,  happy,  and 
of  noble  character ;  another  purpose  is  to  create  in 
every  mind  an  especial  desire  to  help  uplift  the 

^  Although  the  "  Sunday  League  "  as  described  on  the  following 
pages  is  imaginary,  nearly  every  point  given  is  in  actual  operation 
in  one  or  more  communities,  and  almost  every  incident  cited  in  the 
narrative  has  occurred  practically  as  related. 


158  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

next  generation ;  a  further  purpose  is  to  seek  and 
disseminate  that  knowledge  which  best  shows  how 
to  accomplish  these  results.  The  object  of  this 
League,  definitely  stated,  is  kept  before  its  mem- 
bers. The  first  care  of  the  League  is  to  fix  its  pur- 
pose, concisely  and  specifically  stated,  in  the  minds 
of  its  children  members,  so  that  in  the  future  no  man 
can  pass  the  threshold  of  the  League  without  hav- 
ing this  purpose  flash  clearly  before  his  mind.  Any 
noble  aim,  expressed  in  few  words  and  in  tangible 
form,  will  in  time  have  a  good  influence  over  the 
hardest  and  dullest  minds.  To  accomplish  the  pur- 
pose of  the  Sunday  League  may  seem  like  asking 
much  of  any  association,  but  as  the  Sunday  study 
course  extends  from  the  age  of  five  years  to  that  of 
forty-five  years,  it  will  be  seen  that  what  is  planned 
can  be  accomplished  without  any  sense  of  haste. 
After  finishing  the  study  course,  the  members 
attend  sermons  where  more  particular  attention  is 
paid  to  religious  teachings.  These  sermons,  of 
course,  may  be  attended  at  any  age.  It  is  the  pur- 
pose of  the  League  to  use  the  entire  Sunday  for 
seeking  knowledge  and  recreation  in  the  most  ad- 
vantageous manner. 

While  listening  to  lectures,  talking  with  mem- 
bers, and  doing  some  reasoning  of  our  own,  we 
have  learned  some  things  that  may  be  of  interest  to 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  159 

the  average  man.  We  shall  not  try  to  give  all  we 
learned  about  the  League  nor  all  the  arguments  in 
its  favor  ;  we  shall  simply  recall  enough  of  the  items 
recorded  in  our  memory  to  give  a  fair  idea  of  its 
work. 

Naturally,  first  among  these  items  would  be  those 
concerning  the  League's  concept  of  God.  Our  first 
visit  to  the  League  was  early  one  morning  last 
summer.  On  our  way  we  overtook  a  member,  and 
during  our  walk  together,  we  inquired  concerning 
the  concept  of  God  as  held  by  the  League.  Some 
of  the  principal  points  of  his  reply  were  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

"  The  League  originates  no  definition  of  God. 
Most  of  the  members  believe  God  to  be  a  power  of 
such  intelligence  as  was  necessary  to  create  the 
universe.  Some  of  them  believe  God  to  be  the  uni- 
verse. Others  believe  that  the  spiritual  in  us  is  a 
part  of  God  and  one  with  Him ;  aud  still  others 
believe  that  ours  is  a  subordinate  spirituality,  and 
that  the  God-intelligence  is  of  a  different  and 
higher  order.  The  belief  of  some  of  the  members 
is  that  God,  although  He  gave  us  the  ability  to 
sympathize,  is  an  abstract  power  without  sympathy. 
A  few  members  of  the  League  believe  that  a  God- 
Power  started  the  universe  on  an  orderly  world- 
cycle,  and  that  not  later  than  the  time  when  man 


160  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

developed,  this  Power  returned  to  a  dormant  state, 
or  to  some  other  state  of  inaction,  and  left  matter 
and  force  to  work  out  their  inevitable  destiny,  pos- 
sibly with  no  other  result  than  a  return  to  the  orig- 
inal undeveloped  state  of  existence  when  this  world- 
cycle  began.  The  unity  of  the  League  is  not 
founded  on  a  unity  of  opinion  regarding  God.  The 
question  of  the  form,  the  name,  or  even  of  the  na- 
ture of  God  does  not  enter  the  League,  except  as 
those  advanced  in  the  course  may  discuss  it  as  a 
purely  speculative  problem," 

In  answer  to  an  inquiry  as  to  the  characteristics 
of  those  having  atheistic  beliefs,  our  companion  re- 
plied :  "  Strange  to  say,  these  atheists  are  as  kind 
and  appear  as  happy  as  the  other  members.  They 
feel  a  strong  responsibility  for  the  welfare  of  others, 
—  a  responsibility  which  seems  to  come  from  the 
belief  or  the  fear  that  there  may  be  no  God  to  watch 
over  the  individual.  They  have  a  strong  desire  for 
the  friendship  of  others,  and  live  principally  for 
the  faith  that  others  have  in  them.  Since  they  be- 
lieve that  death  is  the  end  to  all  existence,  they  en- 
deavor, through  the  pleasures  of  friendship,  to  make 
the  best  of  their  short  term  of  life,  and  they  ear- 
nestly desire  to  see  all  develop  the  wisdom  that  will 
guide  them  to  do  likewise.  These  men,  like  others, 
cling  to  the  idea  of  a  futm-e  life,  but  they  do  this 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  161 

by  regarding  their  own  lives  as  continued  in  a 
somewhat  modified  form  in  the  lives  of  the  next 
generation.  Granted  a  good  education  that  has 
given  a  fair  insight  into  the  innumerable  wonders 
of  nature,  and  that  has  included  a  broad  study  of 
man,  the  atheist's  contemplation  of  the  lives  of  his 
fellow  men,  — lives  which  he  believes  will  sooner  or 
later  pass  into  non-existence,  —  arouses  a  strong 
sympathy  for  others,  a  sympathy  not  dependent  on 
personal  traits  and  beliefs.  To  me  this  sympathy 
seems  as  fine  as  that  exhibited  by  the  truly  religious 
man.  The  inexperienced  atheistic  mind  sometimes 
shows  a  tendency  toward  rank  selfishness;  but  as 
education  advances,  time  modifies  this  selfishness, 
and  its  folly  appears.  Frequently,  too,  the  atheistic 
view  weakens  with  the  deeper  insight  into  nature's 
laws. 

"  There  are  also  a  few  in  the  League  who  might 
be  called  '  specieists.'  They  believe  that  God  does 
not  watch  over  each  individual  separately,  but  that 
He  created  the  human  family  and  made  a  combina- 
tion of  physical  and  psychical  laws  for  its  growth. 
'  Specieists '  believe  that  God  concerns  Himself  not 
with  the  advance  of  the  individual,  but  only  with 
the  advance  of  the  race.  Some  of  these  men  at  first 
feel  out  of  harmony  with  the  remainder  of  the  world, 
as  does  the  foolishly  selfish  atheist  just  referred  to ; 


162  THE  SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

but,  as  with  the  latter,  a  reasonable  study  of  the 
wonders  of  nature  modifies  this  early  unbrotherly 
feeling." 

We  asked  if  atheists  were  not  more  inclined  to 
be  fatalists  than  the  other  members  of  the  League, 
and  were  told  that  fatalism  was  not  noticeable  among 
them.  As  we  approached  the  League  grounds,  our 
companion  directed  us  to  one  of  the  lecture  rooms 
in  which  an  address  was  to  be  delivered  that  morn- 
ing on  the  subject  of  free  will.  After  a  walk  of  about 
a  mile  over  a  country  road  shaded  by  trees,  we  had 
now  reached  the  League  entrance.  Here  we  sepa- 
rated, but  before  doing  so,  our  companion  informed 
us  that  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  Personal  Appear- 
ance Department,  and  invited  us  to  call  at  his  home 
some  evening  to  learn  about  his  work.  As  several 
of  his  remarks  in  regard  to  the  department  under 
his  supervision  had  excited  our  curiosity,  we  readily 
promised  ourselves  the  pleasure  of  accepting  his 
invitation. 

Hundreds  of  members  of  all  ages  were  arriving 
at  the  League,  and  we  went  in  with  the  others.  On 
entering,  our  first  desire  was  to  walk  through  the 
grounds,  and  to  this  desire  we  yielded.  The  place  is 
delightful,  as  an  artist-architect  has  so  planned  the 
buildings  that  they  harmonize  with  the  natural  sur- 
roundings. The  grounds,  which  are  about  three- 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  163 

fourths  of  a  mile  square,  are  covered  with  a  nat- 
ural forest  known  as  the  League  Park.  A  small 
river  flows  through  the  grounds,  and  this  has  been 
dammed  to  form  a  lake.  The  buildings,  which  are 
inexpensive,  yet  attractive,  are  scattered  over  a  par- 
tially cleared  space  of  about  half  a  mile  square  in 
the  centre  of  the  Park. 

After  a  hasty  inspection  of  the  League  grounds, 
we  decided  to  hear  the  lecture  on  Free  Will,  and  we 
recall  the  following  thoughts  from  this  lecture :  — 

"  Some  believe  that  all  our  actions  are  foreor- 
dained, and,  figuratively  speaking,  plainly  written 
in  the  great  book  of  the  future.  To  others  it  seems 
that  our  mind  action  is  a  result  of  the  complex  co- 
operation of  the  five  physical  senses  through  a  cen- 
tral exchange  called  reason.  This  faculty  they  con- 
sider merely  another  sense,  and  to  such  persons  it 
seems  that  our  actions  are  not  strictly  foreordained, 
yet  must  inevitably  be  what  they  are.  Still  others 
believe  that  our  mind  is  absolutely  free  and  fully 
responsible  for  its  thoughts  and  acts.  Some  be- 
lieve human  mind  action  to  be  attributable  partly 
to  instinct  and  partly  to  free  will.  Whether  we 
have  absolute  free  will  or  not,  we  endeavor  to  sat- 
isfy desire  by  acting  in  accordance  with  a  judg- 
ment based  on  a  complex  experience.  Our  volun- 
tary acts  are  directed  by  our  reason  to  meet  ever- 


164  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

changing  conditions.  Every  voluntary  act  is  pre- 
ceded or  accompanied  by  more  or  less  deliberation, 
which  may  or  may  not  be  voluntary,  yet  to  our 
minds  it  appears  voluntary." 

The  words  "judgment"  and  "reason"  were 
used  by  the  lecturer  to  express  lesser  mind  pheno- 
mena than  free  will.  "  Since  it  is  such  a  matter  of 
course  to  think  of  our  acts  as  originating  in  free 
will,"  the  lecturer  said,  "  it  is  evident  either  that 
God  gave  us  free  will,  or  that  he  gave  us  a  mind- 
condition  that  makes  it  appear  to  us  that  we  pos- 
sess free  will.  Even  if  the  most  advanced  minds 
should  unite  in  telling  us  that  we  have  no  free  will, 
the  instinctive  regarding  of  our  acts  as  prompted 
by  free  will  would  continually  assert  itself.  Then, 
too,  in  every  experienced  and  thoughtful  mind, 
there  must  always  remain  a  doubt  as  to  conclusions 
on  this  question,  as  on  all  others  that  are  purely 
speculative.  Since  God  gave  us  the  instinctive  be- 
lief in  free  will,  He  no  doubt  gave  it  for  a  purpose, 
and  this  belief  must  affect  not  only  our  individual 
actions,  but  all  human  development.  Whether  we 
have  absolute  free  will  or  only  a  God-given  illusion 
of  free  will,  is  immaterial  so  far  as  our  actions  and 
duty  are  concerned.  A  God-given  illusion,  so  long 
as  it  lasts,  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  an  actual- 
ity. If  what  has  been  said  is  true,  each  individual 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  165 

must  hold  himself  responsible  for  his  acts.  lu  fact, 
human  nature  would  revolt  against  the  man  who 
would  attempt  to  excuse  a  wicked  act  on  the  ground 
that  he  possessed  only  instinct  and  no  free  will." 

The  lecturer  said,  "I  am  acquainted  with  two 
men  of  strong,  active  minds,  and  of  unquestioned 
character,  who  cannot  come  to  any  other  conclusion 
than  that  man  has  no  trace  of  free  will.  These  two 
men  act  as  though  they  held  themselves  wholly 
responsible  for  their  own  deeds.  If  there  is  any 
difference  between  the  actions  of  these  two  and  the 
actions  of  other  good  men,  it  is  that  the  former  do 
not  hold  their  fellow  men  so  responsible  for  their 
acts  as  do  the  latter.  It  requires  considerable  abil- 
ity to  carry  a  line  of  thought  as  do  these  two  men 
when  explaining  the  process  of  reasoning  that  is 
responsible  for  the  belief  they  hold.  By  the  time  a 
man  has  accumulated  a  store  of  knowledge  and  has 
developed  reasoning  power  of  this  degree,  there  is 
small  likelihood  that  he  will  use  his  belief  as  an 
excuse  for  a  mean  act." 

The  next  lecturer  to  whom  we  listened  told  his 
class  of  young  people  that  the  only  permissible 
reward  for  pleasing  God  is  the  satisfaction  a  well- 
developed  mind  finds  in  seeking  and  in  doing  right. 
This  gives  to  the  individual  the  pleasure  of  being 
in  full  harmony  with  the  universe.  He  said:  — 


166  THE  SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

"  The  first  essential  in  doing  right  is  of  course  to 
seek  a  knowledge  of  what  is  right ;  this  seeking 
eventually  brings  one  to  the  study  of  the  laws  of 
nature  in  their  government  of  the  human  mind. 
A  study  of  the  human  mind  usually  increases  sym- 
pathy for  one's  fellow  men,  enlarges  and  enlight- 
ens the  sympathy  of  the  fortunate  for  the  unfortu- 
nate, and  of  the  good  for  the  bad. 

"  Man  has  not  yet  found  a  more  complex  or  a  more 
highly  organized  form  of  life  than  his  own.  We 
therefore  assume  that  man  is  God's  highest  handi- 
work. This  may  not  be  true,  but  our  limited  yet 
God -given  reason  can  come  to  no  other  conclu- 
sion. Naturally,  we  judge  God's  ideals  by  the  high- 
est thoughts  of  the  best  developed  human  minds, 
as  far  as  we  can  understand  these  best  minds. 
Some  say  that  all  that  is  necessary  in  order  to  find 
these  ideals  is  to  search  the  Bible  for  them.  Here 
we  must  consider  that  the  present  average  mind,  in 
searching  a  book  written  largely  in  unfamiliar  terms 
and  in  the  style  of  a  past  time,  usually  understands 
this  book  imperfectly,  and  gives  its  own  interpreta- 
tion to  a  much  greater  extent  than  if  it  were 
searching  the  mind  of  another  through  conversa- 
tion, or  through  a  modern  book.  While  searching 
the  Bible  for  a  knowledge  of  what  is  right,  it  is 
well  to  study  also  the  best  there  is  in  the  thought- 


THE  SUNDAY  LEAGUE  167 

fill  minds  about  you.  The  Bible  is  laboring  under 
great  difficulties,  —  for  the  average  church  member 
it  requires  the  minister  as  an  interpreter.  This  mem- 
ber hears  one  or  two  sermons  a  week,  and  of  these 
sermons  perhaps  less  than  half  an  hour  —  a  total 
of  twenty-six  hours  a  year  —  is  devoted  directly 
to  the  Bible.  In  many  cases  this  Bible  exposition 
is  forgotten  almost  as  soon  as  heard." 

The  lecturer  insisted  that  the  direct  search  for 
knowledge  of  what  is  right  should  be  more  earnest 
and  more  extended. 

The  Sunday  League  seemed  much  like  an  inten- 
sified institutional  church.  What  appeared  strange 
to  us  was  that  the  League  considered  it  immaterial 
whether  or  not  man  was  God's  best  handiwork; 
whether  or  not  man's  spirit  is  part  of  and  one  with 
God's ;  whether  man  has  free  will  or  only  instinct, 
or  both  combined ;  whether  or  not  there  is  a  God 
that  concerns  Himself  about  us.  These,  and  many 
other  beliefs  and  shades  of  beliefs,  are  regarded  as 
merely  personal  opinions  which  do  not  materially 
affect  the  main  purpose  of  the  League. 

The  liberality  of  the  League  in  regard  to  per- 
sonal beliefs  made  us  wonder  what  were  the  require- 
ments for  membership.  Upon  inquiry  we  learned 
that  any  person  will  be  accepted  who  possesses  a  fair 
degree  of  intelligence,  and  who  grants  full  tolerance 


168  THE  SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

of  thought  and  its  expression,  provided  this  expres- 
sion does  not  violate  the  laws  of  the  land.  The  prin- 
cipal requirement  for  membership  is  a  promise  that 
the  applicant  will  earnestly  pursue  the  study  of  man 
for  the  purpose  of  a  higher  self-development,  and 
as  an  aid  to  the  higher  development  of  humanity. 
This  study  has  come  to  be  regarded  by  most  mem- 
bers as  the  shortest  road  to  wisdom  and  happiness. 

We  commented  on  the  metropolitan  aspect  of 
the  membership,  and  were  told  that  the  League  was 
conceived  by  a  young  and  independent  minister. 
He,  with  a  few  business  men  of  various  occupations, 
and  their  most  trusted  employees,  established  the 
League.  Since  its  object  is  to  uplift  humanity,  it 
was  decided  that  the  society  should  endeavor  to  ob- 
tain a  large  membership  and  should  aim  to  have  all 
nationalities,  religions,  professions,  and  trades  repre- 
sented as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  proportions  found 
in  the  community.  Children  applicants  who  are  not 
sufficiently  trained,  and  older  persons  who  desire  to 
join  but  who  do  not  quite  come  up  to  all  the  require- 
ments, are  given  a  preliminary  training  under  the 
care  of  the  membership  committee. 

The  next  Sunday  we  visited  the  children's  play- 
ground. Here  we  found  a  child  who  was  recover- 
ing from  the  effects  of  an  accident.  She  had  sat 
down  in  the  sunlight  near  the  edge  of  the  little 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  169 

lake  where  she  could  watch  the  children  and  young 
people  at  play.  We  sat  down  near  her,  and  in  reply 
to  questions,  she  told  us  that  she  had  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  League  for  three  years.  She  said  that 
she  liked  her  Sunday  and  week-day  lessons  because 
they  make  her  "  more  beautiful,  more  good,  and 
more  happy,"  and  because  they  teach  her  how  to 
make  people  about  her  "more  good  and  more 
happy."  She  said  that  every  Sunday  the  teachers 
tell  them  in  what  way  some  part  of  the  lessons  of 
the  day  may  serve  to  make  them  better  or  happier. 

At  this  moment  the  little  patient's  teacher  came 
to  take  her  away.  "  Do  your  members,  as  a  rule, 
regard  education  as  an  imperative  and  religious 
duty  after  they  have  passed  the  age  of  childhood  ?  " 
we  asked  the  teacher. 

"  Our  young  people,"  she  replied,  "'  are  taught 
to  regard  their  general  education  as  an  aid  to- 
ward making  them  genial  and  helpful  members  of 
society,  and  to  regard  their  vocational  education 
not  only  as  a  means  of  earning  a  livelihood,  but  also 
as  a  means  for  becoming  economically  efficient  citi- 
zens. The  League  keeps  this  dual  purpose  of  voca- 
tion in  the  minds  of  the  students  while  they  are 
taking  the  vocational  course  at  school  or  in  ap- 
prenticeship. Once  these  purposes  of  general  and 
vocational  education  are  understood  by  the  students 


170  THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

whose  training  tends  towards  making  them  thought- 
ful, any  slighting  of  work  or  its  total  avoidance 
seems  like  unfair  play  ;  and  any  thriving  on  unpro- 
ductive scheming  seems  still  worse.  Students  are 
shown  how  rapidly  the  requirements  of  good  citi- 
zenship are  increasing,  and  they  early  realize  that 
without  a  good  secondary-school  education  they  can 
hardly  expect  to  become  valued  members  of  society. 
Under  League  environments  it  requires  little  effort 
to  inspire  in  the  boys  a  desire  to  become  good  citi- 
zens." 

As  the  teacher  left,  we  could  but  think  that  if 
all  teachers  were  able  to  see  the  wisdom  in  the  re- 
marks just  made  by  this  League  teacher,  they  would 
without  doubt  take  greater  pains  to  instill  into  the 
youth  of  the  land  the  ideal  she  expressed.  The 
effect  of  such  action  by  teachers  might  be  slight, 
but  it  would  surely  be  good. 

We  now  turned  our  attention  to  the  Weekly 
Bulletin  published  by  the  League.  This  Bulletin 
gives  the  programme  for  all  the  meetings  of  the 
various  societies,  the  lectures,  lessons,  and  sports 
for  the  day  and  for  the  next  Sunday.  It  has  a 
question  and  answer  column,  and  each  number  con- 
tains articles  by  members  of  the  League.  One  val- 
uable feature  of  the  Bulletin  is  a  short  review  of 
magazine  articles  that  are  believed  to  be  of  special 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  171 

interest  to  students  of  mankind.  From  the  Bulletin 
we  learned  the  following :  — 

The  League  considers  a  specific  study  of  man 
during  and  after  high-school  years  absolutely  essen- 
tial in  preparing  its  members  to  aid  in  the  advance- 
ment of  humanity.  Metaphysical,  religious,  and 
other  speculative  subjects  are  not  discussed  in  the 
study  course.  In  this  course  the  member  is  taught 
the  purport  of  many  of  these  questions,  and  the 
different  effects  with  which  they  have  been  credited. 
He  thus  becomes  familiar  with  these  questions,  and 
this  familiarity  prevents  his  becoming  a  heated 
partisan  for  any  one  in  particular.  He  soon  learns 
that  a  partisan-like  discussion,  especially  of  specu- 
lative religious  questions,  is  inimical  to  happiness. 
However,  such  questions  are  frequent  topics  in  the 
debating  societies,  and  the  general  lecturers  often 
discuss  them.  It  is  understood  that  a  reasonable 
amount  of  time  given  to  a  thoughtful  and  honest 
investigation  of  speculative  questions  is  essential 
to  progress  and  happiness. 

The  members  of  the  League  are  divided  into 
many  minor  and  wholly  independent  societies  which 
have  headquarters  on  the  grounds.  Each  of  these 
societies  has  for  its  purpose  the  raising  of  the 
standard  of  manhood  in  some  particular  way,  or 
the  enlightening  of  its  members  on  some  particular 


172  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

question.  There  are  societies  for  the  promotion  of 
temperance  by  prohibition,  by  high  license,  by  gov- 
ernment sale  of  liquor,  by  the  sale  of  beer  and  the 
exclusion  of  whiskey ;  there  are  societies  for  child 
labor  control,  for  and  against  compulsory  secondary 
education,  for  and  against  government  care  of  poor 
children  ;  there  are  church  societies  and  other  or- 
ganizations, formed  either  for  the  betterment  of 
conditions  and  the  development  of  character,  or 
for  study  and  research  in  some  restricted  scientific 
or  speculative  field.  Purely  speculative  questions 
are  closely  studied  only  in  the  philosophical  societies 
of  the  League,  so  their  discussion  does  not  burden 
the  regular  course  of  study.  The  independent  minor 
societies  are  designed  as  agencies  through  which  each 
individual  may  exercise  his  best  judgment  as  to  a 
method  of  work  for  the  general  advancement.  As 
stated  before,  one  of  the  few  tenets  of  the  League 
demands  tolerance  of  the  views  of  others.  This  tol- 
erance, although  it  is  studied  at  first,  leads  finally 
to  amicable  relations  between  societies  opposed  in 
theory.  Heated  attack  on  the  views  of  others  is 
regarded  as  a  loss  of  time.  All  arguments  between 
opposing  societies  are  made  only  in  print,  and,  as  a 
result,  the  arguments  are  fewer  and  more  thoughts 
ful.  To  make  the  work  of  these  societies  more  en- 
joyable, the  homes  of  all  tlie  larger,  permanent  ones 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  173 

are  equipped  for  social  entertainment.  For  the  pur- 
pose of  explaining  the  activities  of  these  League  or- 
ganizations, we  shall  give  extracts  from  a  Bulletin 
article,  "  Reform  by  Legal  Means."  This  article 
answers  a  previous  one  opposing  reform  law :  — 

"  A  considerable  number  of  men  believe  that  we 
shall  weaken  certain  classes  and  cause  continued 
deterioration  in  them  if  we  endeavor  to  force  them 
to  be  good.  These  men  maintain  that  if  the  human 
race  is  ever  to  be  morally  strong  and  hardy,  we 
must  allow  the  individual  to  develop  independently. 
When  we,  by  law,  take  alcohol  away  from  the  alco- 
hol-weakling, we  do  not  make  him  alcohol-resistant, 
—  the  weakness  stays  with  him,  and  if  he  has  no 
alcohol,  the  weakness  will  assert  itself  in  some  other 
way.  These  persons  also  say  that  when  we  compel 
the  parent  to  send  the  child  to  school,  we  do  not 
improve  the  parent,  as  his  selfishness  remains,  nor 
do  we  remake  the  child  and  make  it  of  better  blood. 
When  we  force  the  trust  to  reduce  the  price  of  a 
staple,  we  do  not  make  the  trust-owners  more  gen- 
erous, nor  do  we  increase  the  ability  of  the  public 
to  make  its  own  product.  Our  friends  argue  that 
there  should  be  no  more  of  law  than  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  most  evident  self-preservation : 
laws  against  murder  by  violence,  and  stealing  by  act 
of  hand  are,  to  their  minds,  admissible.    We  will 


174  THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

admit  that  those  who  are  beyond  easy  redemption 
are  perhaps  only  in  rare  instances  fully  redeemed 
through  the  agency  of  reform  laws.  In  greater  or 
lesser  measure  the  weakness  in  each  case  remains 
to  assume  some  other  form.  The  A's  cannot  harm 
themselves,  nor  can  they  harm  the  B's,  without 
harming  the  C's.  When  the  C's  are  sufficiently  in- 
jured to  become  aroused,  and  when  their  number 
is  sufficiently  large,  they  will,  with  the  aid  of  all 
the  B's  they  can  enlist,  force  the  A's  to  desist ;  and 
they  will  do  this  regardless  of  the  assertions  of  the 
A's  that  this  action  interferes  with  the  course  of 
nature,  and  that  the  paternal  care  of  the  law  weak- 
ens character.  The  C's  will  consider  that  they,  too, 
are  an  element  in  the  course  of  nature,  and  that 
what  they  are  trying  to  do  is  only  a  natural  pro- 
cess to  their  advantage  and  in  the  interest  of  their 
conception  of  right.  In  so  far  as  this  struggle  is 
educational,  it  surely  has  a  permanent  effect  on  the 
character  of  the  nation. 

"  The  help  that  the  regular  League  course  gives 
the  inexperienced  is  simply  the  light  of  special 
knowledge  with  which  to  see  the  way  of  life  more 
clearly  and  more  in  detail.  The  various  legal  means 
that  are  advocated  by  the  several  independent 
societies  of  the  League  in  the  numerous  fields  of 
reform  are  such  as,  after  years  of  thought  and  study, 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  175 

seem  wise.  The  men  composing  these  societies  come 
from  all  fields  of  activity,  have  done  all  branches 
of  work,  and,  after  a  life  of  practice  and  years  of 
study  and  discussion,  they  believe  in  certain  reforms. 
In  view  of  this,  should  they  permit  their  experience 
to  waste  and  let  things  go  on  as  before  without  an 
effort  to  better  conditions?" 

In  another  article  the  Bulletin  described  a  re- 
vision in  the  study  course  on  the  eye.  The  course, 
as  revdsed,  demands  one  hour  each  Sunday  for 
twenty  weeks.  It  includes  additional  study  in  com- 
parative anatomy,  and  some  new  ideas  on  the  con- 
nection of  the  eye  with  the  brain ;  it  also  includes 
the  latest  theories  regarding  the  sight  faculty.  We 
were  informed  that  all  the  principal  parts  of  the  body 
are  studied  in  this  leisurely,  careful  way  between 
the  ages  of  twelve  and  twenty-five  years.  The  Bid- 
letin  contained  other  matter  of  interest  to  members  ; 
but  enough  has  been  given  to  explain  its  scope,  and, 
incidentally,  to  explain  some  things  regarding  the 
League. 

After  reading  the  Bulletin  we  permitted  our 
thought  to  wander  from  one  subject  to  another,  and 
among  the  ideas  that  presented  themselves  were  the 
following:  — 

Could  not  the  League  have  a  department  the 
duty  of  which  would  be  to  see  that  every  capable 


176  THE  SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

youth  obtains  a  secondary-school  education?  The 
League  is  so  large  that  it  might  easily  establish 
several  cooperative  enterprises,  and  the  self-sustain- 
ing young  people  of  the  League  might  be  given  five 
hours  daily  of  progressive  employment  in  these  in- 
stitutions, provided  they  would  use  their  earnings 
to  pay  the  expenses  of  three  hours'  daily  attendance 
in  a  high  school.  At  each  annual  influx  of  fresh- 
men, the  older  students  would  be  advanced  in  their 
industrial  work,  and  in  this  way  the  employment 
would  be  more  interesting  and  instructive.  Such  a 
plan  would  be  a  most  practical  and  thorough  way 
to  teach  industrial  business  methods.  Later,  we 
learned  that  this  very  thing  was  being  done.  .  .  . 
Could  not  every  orthodox  church  accomplish  much 
by  organizing  a  department  to  encourage  secondary 
education  ?  ^  .  .  .  What  coidd  yield  more  happiness 
to  the  individual  than  to  assist  in  a  plan  by  which 
all  children,  rich  or  poor,  might  have  an  equal  oppor- 
tunity to  obtain  a  good  secondary  education  ?  .  .  . 
One  of  the  striking  characteristics  of  the  Sunday 
League  is  the  feeling  of  fellowship  that  pervades 
the  meetings.  These  people,  all  through  the  forty 
years'  course,  and  even  afterwards,  are  not  only 

^  The  Annals  of  the  American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social 
Science  for  November,  1907,  shows  the  results  of  church  work 
along  practical  advanced  lines. 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  177 

students,  but  also  close  observers  of  educational 
methods  and  results.  Their  observation  ranges  from 
a  study  of  the  simplest  rudiments  of  language  and 
mathematics  to  that  of  psychology  and  other  sci- 
ences. Most  members  of  the  League  appear  to 
have  been  lifelong  acquaintances.  Is  it  not  prob- 
able that  a  wise  study  of  man  gives  one  an  insight 
into  the  nature  of  his  fellow  man  so  that  weeks  will 
develop  as  ripe  an  acquaintance  or  friendship  as 
under  other  conditions  might  require  years  ?  .  .  . 
But,  after  all,  is  it  probable  that  the  majority  of 
men  will  ever  be  able  to  understand  clearly  a  study 
like  psychology;  and  is  it  not  less  probable  that 
they  will  gain  this  understanding  through  pleasur- 
able effort  ?  We  recall  our  grammar-school  exper- 
ience. Most  of  those  who  left  school  at  the  end  of 
the  eighth  grade  were  as  capable,  mentally,  as  those 
who  continued  and  successfully  completed  the 
course.  We  believe  that  under  a  systematic  train- 
ing the  capacity  for  learning  possessed  by  a  large 
majority  of  the  workers  of  society  is  quite  as  great 
as  that  possessed  by  the  planners  and  schemers.  If 
the  church  does  its  best  to  see  that  all  children  re- 
ceive a  high-school  education,  and  if  other  reform 
forces  do  not  lessen  their  efforts,  the  average  man, 
within  a  few  generations,  could  easily  be  as  famil- 
iar with  the  phenomena  of  the  human  mind  as  the 


178  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

special  students  are  now.  It  is  well  known  that  a 
great  number  of  our  best  students  along  all  lines 
are  those  whose  parents  and  grandparents  were  la- 
borins:  men.  ...  If  a  man's  treatment  of  his  fel- 
low  man  is  the  best  index  of  his  character,  it  would 
seem  reasonable  to  consider  a  study  of  man  as  one 
of  the  principal  requirements  of  education.  For  in- 
stance :  to  refrain  from  telling  a  falsehood  because, 
if  discovered,  your  reputation  would  be  injured,  or 
because  you  were  taught  as  a  child  not  to  tell  a 
lie,  or  because  the  Bible  demands  that  you  tell  only 
the  truth,  is  not  what,  in  this  age,  should  be  con- 
sidered an  expression  of  intelligent  character.  To 
withstand  a  temptation  to  speak  a  falsehood  because 
that  which  is  called  self-respect  does  not  permit 
the  untruth,  may  or  may  not  be  due  to  intelligent 
character.  To  refrain  from  telling  a  falsehood  be- 
cause you  understand  the  possible  bad  effects  that 
any  falsehood  may  have  on  others  as  weU  as  on  your- 
self, and  because  you  understand  the  criminality  of 
an  act  that  injures  humanity,  is  intelligent  char- 
acter. A  falsehood  is  always  told  for  some  personal 
advantage.  If,  by  means  of  falsehood,  you  receive 
or  retain  credit  for  greater  goodness  or  ability  than 
you  possess,  you  indirectly  injure  others  and  di- 
rectly injure  yourself.  In  a  not  very  remote  way, 
every  falsehood  is  a  parasitic  act.  The  mere  mental 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  179 

influence  on  others  of  hearing  even  what  is  called 
a  "  white  lie  "  from  the  lips  of  one  supposed  to  be 
true,  is  an  injury  to  those  who  hear  it,  and  to  all 
humanity.  Every  time  a  man  hears  an  untruth,  his 
confidence  in  human  character  is  lowered.  If  his 
confidence  is  lowered,  he  almost  invariably  shows 
this  mistrust  in  his  actions,  and  this  reacts  on  all 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  People  with  little 
strength  of  character  tell  falsehoods  without  hesi- 
tation. A  falsehood  from  such  a  source  does  not 
shock  an  experienced  man,  but  the  effect  of  such  a 
falsifier  on  what  might  be  called  the  inter-human 
confidence  is  extremely  damaging.  The  telling  of 
a  falsehood,  even  if  the  falsity  is  never  discovered, 
has  some  psychological  effect  that  tends  to  destroy 
this  mutual  confidence.  .  .  .  The  different  forms 
of  indirect  injury  that  any  instance  of  the  lowering 
of  confidence  may  effect  are  innumerable,  as  are 
the  more  direct  injuries  due  to  falsehoods.  Every 
falsehood  is  an  injury  to  humanity,  and  no  one  can 
foretell  the  damage  that  any  particular  falsehood 
may  cause.  It  is  only  the  enlightened  student  of 
man  who  can  fully  appreciate  the  value  of  truth 
to  humanity.  This  enlightened  student,  on  account 
of  knowing  the  value  of  truth,  and  on  account  of  the 
character  acquired  while  becoming  enlightened,  is 
almost  the  only  man  who  habitually  speaks  his  true 


180  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

belief,  and  who  is  brave  enough  to  do  so.  Occa- 
sionally a  man  of  little  education  and  experience 
is  absolutely  truthful,  and  in  thought,  at  least, 
every  one  honors  him.  These  exceptions,  like  all 
exceptions  to  general  rules,  prove  nothing  until 
understood  through  study  and  research.  .  .  .  As 
self-evident  as  the  value  of  truthfulness  is  to  the 
enlightened  man,  experience  has  taught  that  it 
cannot  be  instilled  into  the  human  mind  by  admo- 
nitions to  refrain  from  untruths.  Not  until  we  have 
advanced  farther  in  the  study  of  man,  and  have  ap- 
plied the  acquired  knowledge  to  all  economic,  social, 
and  political  questions  for  a  considerable  time,  can 
we  expect  character  that  will  be  habitually  truthful. 
Every  thoughtful  man  knows  what  an  uplift  the 
simple,  direct  truth  between  men  would  give  to  life. 
The  goodness  that  comes  from  understanding  man, 
and  from  the  character  formed  during  the  develop- 
ment of  this  understanding,  is  true  and  will  last. 
To  this  kind  of  goodness  must  we  look  for  relief 
from  present  social  difficulties ;  and  this  kind  of 
goodness  must  be  in  accord  with  God,  because  it  is 
intelligent  goodness.  .  .  .  Knowledge  of  the  latest 
facts  discovered  concerning  man's  mind  and  body 
is  useful  for  the  purpose  of  uplifting  humanity. 
In  order  to  make  a  speedy  yet  steady  and  easy 
headway  in    such   knowledge,  a  secondary-school 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  181 

education  is  an  almost  indispensable  foundation.  Al- 
though a  knowledge  of  all  facts  discovered  would 
be  useful  to  the  average  man,  he  cannot  hope  to 
become  so  well  informed  ;  but  under  favorable  con- 
ditions he  can  probably  learn  enough  so  that  hu- 
manity will  advance  at  many  times  its  present  rate. 
When  a  slowly  acquired  and  clear  knowledge  of  the 
most  important  needs  of  man  is  more  general,  a  way 
to  have  these  needs  supplied  will  readily  be  found. 
.  .  .  How  to  aid  in  the  equipment  of  the  ordinary 
individual  member  so  as  best  to  enable  him  to  do 
his  share  in  the  uplifting  of  humanity,  is  a  vital 
question  for  any  church.  Strange  to  say,  very  few 
churches  treat  this  as  a  distinct  and  vital  question. 
The  wisdom  of  any  individual  church  may  well  be 
measured  by  its  effort  in  this  direction.  .  .  . 

"  Can  I  show  you  anything  here  to-day  ?  "  an 
acquaintance  asked.  This  question  ended  our  medi- 
tations. We  replied  that  he  might  show  us  any- 
thing he  pleased,  if  he  would  first  tell  us  about  the 
course  of  study  prescribed  by  the  League. 

"  It  requires  but  a  moment's  thought,"  he  replied, 
"  to  convince  one  that  the  outlining  of  a  well-defined 
and  wise  course  for  the  study  of  man  is  a  task  that 
only  men  of  the  broadest  education  and  of  a  partic- 
ular mental  endowment  can  be  expected  to  work 
out  without  much  difficulty.  The  League  had  at  fiirst 


182  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

no  experienced  or  professional  advisers.  The  min- 
ister who  conceived  the  League  and  his  associates 
discussed  the  plan  of  study  for  several  years  before 
even  a  preliminary  trial  course  was  formulated. 
Since  then  a  curriculum  committee  of  six  has  experi- 
mented with  the  study  programme,  and  has  done  re- 
markably well.  This  shows  that  very  often  men  of 
fair  general  education  can,  in  an  emergency,  do  work 
that  ordinarily  requires  specialists.  Several  of  the 
older  members  make  it  their  constant  study  to  im- 
prove the  curriculum. 

"  To  describe  the  study  course  in  a  very  general 
way,  I  may  say  that  the  first  part  is  really  in  the 
public  school.  The  League  aims  to  take  an  encour- 
aging interest  in  school  children  and  in  the  school 
system.  When  a  child  is  unable  to  keep  up  in  any 
study  because  the  week-day  teacher  cannot  find  suf- 
ficient time  for  his  particular  case,  the  League  tries, 
on  Sunday,  to  aid  him  in  whatever  way  it  can.  This 
aid  is  given  by  volunteers  who^  for  the  most  part, 
are  high-school  graduates  that  are  being  trained  as 
public-school  teachers.  Graduates  of  the  League 
also  assist.  This  aid  is  given  strictly  in  accordance 
with  advice  received  from  the  school  which  the  child 
attends.  As  both  parents  and  children  attend  the 
Sunday  League,  it  is  in  closer  touch  with  the  par- 
ents than  is  the  public  school.  Because  of  this  closer 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  183 

touch,  the  League  can  more  conveniently  and  more 
intelligently  interest  the  parents  in  the  child's  needs. 
In  this  way  the  child  is  almost  certain  to  have  their 
sympathy  and  aid.  Wise  aid  given  occasionally  to  a 
child  below  the  average  in  ability  means  happiness 
and  progress  to  the  little  one ;  without  this  aid, 
the  child  might  be  most  miserable.  The  first  care 
of  the  committee  on  education  is  to  see  that  each 
child  has  an  elementary  and  a  secondary -school  edu- 
cation, and  that  this  education  is  as  thorough  as 
possible. 

"  The  public  school,  especially  the  high-school  de- 
partment, gives  the  matter  of  health  as  much  atten- 
tion as  time  permits.  Valuable  as  is  this  knowledge 
when  taught  in  the  high  school,  it  is  considered  the 
imperative  duty  of  the  League  to  carry  this  study 
still  farther.  We  all  know  that  it  is  impossible  for 
a  man  to  be  at  his  best  in  character  if  his  health  is 
below  the  normal.  To  understand  the  relative  value 
of  food  materials,  to  understand  the  laws  of  diges- 
tion and  of  assimilation,  we  need  to  know  some- 
thing of  organic  chemistry.  To  understand  the  eyes, 
we  need  to  know,  among  other  things,  the  laws  of 
light ;  to  understand  the  ears,  we  need  to  know  the 
laws  of  sound,  and  so  on.  To  learn  even  the  rudi- 
ments of  these  sciences,  one  must  have  a  fair  gen- 
eral knowledge  of  language  and  of  mathematics. 


184  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

Botany,  zo61og}%  comparative  anatomy,  as  well  as 
other  sciences,  are  well  worth  studying  for  the  pur- 
pose of  better  understanding  man's  body  and  its  re- 
quirements. The  study  of  body  is  a  preliminary  to 
the  study  of  mind,  and  a  knowledge  of  mind  is  of 
value  in  the  pursuit  of  health  as  well  as  in  the  pur- 
suit of  social  happiness.  To  these  ends  we  find  a 
complete  scientific  high-school  course  indispensable. 

"  You  may  say  that  such  knowledge  is  for  the 
physician,  the  oculist,  the  athletic  instructor,  and 
other  specialists.  We  have  these  men  with  us  now, 
but  they  can  accomplish  more  when  those  for  whom 
they  work  understand  their  advice  and  the  reason 
for  it.  The  specialist's  duty  is  to  obtain  accurate 
and  broad  knowledge  of  his  subject  and  to  teach 
this  knowledge ;  the  layman's  duty  is  to  be  able  to 
understand  it.  But  both  the  specialist  and  the  lay- 
man have  much  to  learn  in  regard  to  making  our 
bodies  healthy,  strong,  and  beautiful.  The  League 
gives  a  course  on  personal  appearance  which  enables 
the  poor  man  to  look  quite  as  neat  as  does  the  man 
of  average  means. 

"  There  is  a  course  that  presents  briefly  the  his- 
tory of  speculative  questions.  The  course  includes 
a  short  exposition  of  the  principal  theories  of  nat- 
ural law,  and  of  the  various  religious,  ethical,  scien- 
tific, and  philosophical  subjects  of  controversy  in 


THE  SUNDAY  LEAGUE  185 

both  the  past  and  the  present.  This  short  course  in 
speculative  thought  shows  that  theorizing  is  end- 
less. The  lectures  are  designed  to  create  more  re- 
spect for  the  opinions  of  others  ;  to  sober  argument 
of  a  speculative  nature,  and,  incidentally,  to  moder- 
ate all  other  argument.  More  knowledge  of  past 
speculative  questions  will  tend  to  save  for  humanity 
time  that  would  otherwise  be  lost  by  reason  of  a  too 
literal  repetition  of  thought  generation  after  genera- 
tion. You  may  question  the  average  man's  interest 
in  these  speculative  questions.  The  average  man 
thinks,  and  lacking  accurate  knowledge  of  the  his- 
tory of  past  speculative  thought,  he  readily  becomes 
a  partisan  upon  these  questions,  as  well  as  upon  sim- 
ple questions  of  fact.  It  is  surprising  to  see  how  the 
little  time  given  to  these  lectures  sobers  controversy. 
"  There  is  a  course  in  social  and  political  science 
which  gives  a  fairly  well-defined  idea  of  these  sub- 
jects in  all  their  branches.  Each  year  a  different 
branch  is  given  special  study.  One  year,  attention 
may  be  concentrated  on  intemperance  and  the  drug 
habit ;  another  year,  upon  the  production  and  dis- 
tribution of  wealth ;  another,  on  public  education  ; 
another,  on  religion  in  relation  to  politics.  This  year 
attention  is  directed  to  intemperance  and  the  drug 
habit.  The  plan  of  giving  special  attention  to  a  cer- 
tain branch  of  social  or  political  science  each  year 


186  THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

is  continued  for  ten  years,  and  then  the  programme 
is  repeated  with  such  variations  as  experience  and 
fuller  understanding  may  dictate.  Time  is  too  limited 
to  permit  of  each  member's  taking  all  of  the  ten 
branches  specially  studied,  but  he  is  expected  to 
study  one  branch  between  his  twentieth  and  thir- 
tieth years,  as  it  is  considered  the  duty  of  every  citi- 
zen to  understand  at  least  one  of  these  subjects  to 
the  extent  that  they  are  taught  by  the  League.  As 
far  as  possible  the  classes  are  so  arranged  that  each 
year  a  different  tenth  of  the  members  can  take  one 
of  the  special  subjects.  In  this  way  every  member 
has  broad  general  training  in  at  least  one  branch  of 
social  and  political  science,  and  social  intercourse 
diffuses  the  knowledge  of  aU  ten  branches  among 
all  of  the  members. 

"  After  the  high-school  period,  studies  in  science, 
literature,  and  art  are  continued  at  intervals  until 
the  end  of  the  League  course.  The  young  married 
women  are  given  a  course  in  the  duties  of  mother- 
hood ;  the  young  married  men,  a  course  in  the  duties 
of  fatherhood.  Those  young  women  who  did  not  take 
a  course  in  domestic  science  in  the  high  school  are 
given  an  outline  course  in  the  League.  Ethics  is 
given  careful  study.  Outlines  of  the  various  reli- 
gions of  to-day,  and  a  short  history  of  all  religion 
are  included  in  the  course.  Outdoor  nature  studies 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  187 

receive  special  attention,  and,  to  this  end,  the  chil- 
dren spend  two  or  three  entire  Sundays  of  each 
summer  in  making  excursions  to  the  hills  or  to  the 
beach.  An  outline  of  anthropology  is  given  and  is 
most  eagerly  studied.  All  sociological  topics  are  dis- 
cussed to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  Psychology  is 
a  favorite  study  with  many  of  the  older  students. 
Almost  the  entire  course  is  simply  a  forty  years' 
study  of  man,  and  this  study  is  based,  wherever  pos- 
sible, upon  a  secondary-school  education  which  has 
been  received  at  the  proper  age. 

"  To  understand  even  as  short  an  article  on  ethics 
as  is  found  in  the  larger  encyclopedias  requires  a 
mind  that  has  at  least  the  training  of  secondary  edu- 
cation, and  one  in  which  a  fair  degree  of  reasoning 
power  is  developed.  Nine  out  of  every  ten  men  have 
minds  that  could,  with  little  effort,  have  been  so 
trained  as  readily  to  understand  such  an  article. 
At  present,  however,  even  after  most  careful  read- 
ing, hardly  one  out  of  ten  would  understand  it 
fully.  A  single  instance  like  this  should  arouse  all 
to  a  sense  of  the  futility  of  trying  to  teach  a  man 
who  is  not  naturally  good  to  be  soundly  and  firmly 
good,  before  he  possesses  a  fair  education. 

"  Although  practically  the  entire  course  is  for  the 
study  of  man,  it  diverges  and  takes  up  political  and 
social  science  topics  as  such.  The  special  attention 


188  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

thus  given  to  these  subjects  will  be  necessary  until 
industrial,  economic,  social,  and  political  conditions 
are  fully  miderstood  through  week-day  education. 

"  The  study  of  the  body  and  its  care  is  combined 
with  all  kinds  of  athletics,  out-of-door  nature-study, 
singing,  and  other  exercises  that  require  only  the 
most  pleasurable  mental  exertion.  These  courses 
are  given  to  the  children  who  attend  school  during 
the  week,  and  the  nature  of  the  work  is  such  that 
the  Sunday  activity  is  not  simply  a  continuation 
of  school  work.  In  an  attractive  and  effective  way, 
good  manners  and  moral  and  ethical  principles 
adapted  to  their  age  are  at  all  times  taught  the  chil- 
dren. 

"  Beginning  with  the  fourteenth  grade,  the  study 
sessions  are  devoted  principally  to  lectures,  during 
which  the  students  ask  questions,  discuss  the  topic, 
and  take  notes.  At  the  close  of  the  term,  each  stu- 
dent prepares  a  thesis  on  an  assigned  subject,  and 
on  the  thoroughness  of  this  thesis  depends  his  privi- 
lege of  entering  a  higher  course." 

Here  we  expressed  our  satisfaction  with  our 
friend's  explanation  of  the  study  courses,  and  in- 
quired about  the  teaching  force.  He  replied,  "All 
except  the  few  special  teachers,  whom  we  call  lec- 
turers or  ministers,  are  volunteers.  Any  graduate 
of  the  fourteenth  grade  may  have  his  application 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  189 

for  a  position  as  teacher  entered  on  the  waiting-list. 
The  average  youth  passes  the  twelfth,  or  the  last 
high-school  grade,  at  eighteen  years  of  age.  Each 
League  degree  requires  but  one  year,  and  is  given 
with  the  corresponding  school  grade.  After  the 
twelfth  grade,  the  League  degrees  are  granted  an- 
nually to  those  following  prescribed  courses  up  to 
the  age  of  forty-five.  The  placing  and  retiring  of 
teachers  is  in  the  hands  of  a  teacher's  committee 
composed  of  members  and  paid  lecturers. 

"  There  is  no  salary  attached  to  any  of  the  posi- 
tions except  those  which  are  filled  by  the  lecturers, 
and  these  paid  positions  require  daily  work  as  well 
as  general  supervision  of  the  Sunday  courses.  The 
regular  Sunday  positions  are  filled  by  men  and 
women  who  do  this  work  for  the  love  of  it.  It  is  a 
rare  occurrence  to  see  a  volunteer  teacher  retired 
after  he  has  been  allowed  to  teach  for  a  year. 
Usually  a  teacher  who  has  been  retired  from  one 
study  will  at  once  place  his  name  on  the  waiting- 
list  for  any  position  the  committee  may  offer  for 
which  he  is  prepared.  It  is  considered  an  honor  to 
be  tried,  and  each  one  tried  is  expected  to  admit 
that  the  committee  knows  better  than  he  which 
teacher  best  meets  the  needs  of  the  students.  He  is 
also  expected  to  realize  that  the  feeling  of  resent- 
ment is  extremely  childish,  besides  being  a  hindrance 


190  THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

to  the  success  of  the  institution  for  which,  if  neces- 
sary, he  is  supposed  to  be  willing  to  sacrifice  him- 
self. Each  teacher  appointed,  no  matter  how  much 
he  may  enjoy  his  position,  is  expected  to  do  his  best 
to  prove  that  his  loyalty  to  the  League  so  far  tran- 
scends any  personal  feeluig  that  he  will  welcome 
displacement  if  the  committee  finds  a  substitute 
that  it  considers  superior  to  him.  Even  should  he 
believe  that  the  committee  acted  in  bad  faith  in 
displacing  him,  he  will  be  expected  to  remain 
with  the  League  and  to  use  his  power  wisely  in  the 
interest  of  right  as  he  sees  it.  He  who  fulfills  these 
expectations  is  magnanimous,  and  is  considered  of 
the  highest  value  to  the  League.  So  vital  do  we 
regard  the  influence  of  perfect  character,  that  we 
consider  the  League  indestructible  as  long  as  at 
least  one  out  of  every  twenty-five  of  its  members 
is  truly  magnanimous.  Partly  for  this  reason,  the 
member  is  valued  much  more  for  his  character  than 
for  any  special  ability  he  may  possess. 

"  All  teachers  who  have  not  finished  the  League 
course  are  required  to  continue  their  League  studies 
and  to  write  their  theses.  Each  teacher  is  supposed 
to  have  a  class  of  about  fifteen  students.  The  full- 
time  volunteer  Sunday  teachers  have  classes  for 
four  hours  during  the  day,  while  the  time  given  by 
other  volunteers  varies  from  one  to  three  hours. 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  191 

At  least  half  of  the  teachers  are  workingmen,  their 
wives,  their  daughters,  or  their  sons.  For  instance, 
one  of  the  teachers  is  a  foreman  carpenter  whose 
subject  is  Human  Habitations.  This  subject  in- 
cludes the  history  of  human  dwellings  from  the 
time  of  the  cave,  cliff,  and  tree  dwellers  to  the 
present  time.  He  has  taught  this  subject  for  fifteen 
years,  has  written  the  text-book  used  by  the  classes, 
and  is  now  regarded  as  an  authority  on  this  sub- 
ject. This  teacher  lectures  one  hour  every  Sunday, 
and  the  course  consists  of  fifteen  lectures.  In  this 
way,  by  having  classes  of  fifteen  or  twenty  mem- 
bers, he  can  teach  the  entire  League  membership. 
The  carpenter's  wife  is  an  assistant  teacher  in 
domestic  science.  This  husband  and  wife  were 
elected  to  their  positions  on  account  of  special  in- 
terest and  ability  shown  in  the  preparation  of  one 
of  their  annual  theses.  Physicians,  lawyers,  mu- 
sicians, and  scientists  freely  give  of  their  time  for 
Sunday  lectures.  One  out  of  about  every  ten 
members  over  twenty-five  years  of  age  is  acting  as 
teacher  in  some  capacity,  and  no  people  are  happier 
on  Sunday  than  these  teachers  and  their  pupils." 

At  this  point  our  acquaintance  invited  us  to 
accompany  him  to  the  League  restaurant  for  lunch- 
eon. We  told  him  that  we  were  much  interested  in 
this  feature  of  the  League,  and  requested  him  to 


192  THE  SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

tell  us  all  about  it.  The  following  points  are  the 
most  interesting  ones  that  he  gave :  — 

"  Meals  are  served  from  eleven  a.  m.  to  two  P.  M., 
and  from  five  to  seven  p.  m.  The  classes  and  the 
various  amusements  are  so  arranged  that  meals  are 
in  nearly  uniform  demand  during  these  hours.  Food 
is  sold  at  a  price  that  leaves  five  per  cent  of  the 
gross  income  for  the  general  League  fund.  Many 
meals  are  served,  so  the  cost  of  preparation  amounts 
to  very  little  per  meal.  The  dining-room  is  operated 
more  like  a  cafeteria  than  like  the  usual  restaurant, 
and  meals  cost  very  little  more  than  the  price  of 
materials  used  in  similar  meals  prepared  at  home. 
The  manager  and  enough  help  to  operate  the  res- 
taurant on  week  days  are  steadily  employed.  This 
help  is  composed  of  young  people,  and  is  divided 
into  two  groups,  each  working  six  hours  a  day. 
These  groups  have  their  hours  for  duty  so  arranged 
that  one  half  may  attend  a  morning  session  in  high 
school  or  college,  and  the  other  half  an  afternoon 
session.  Each  member  of  this  week-day  corps  of 
workers  remains  on  duty  all  day  Sunday,  but  each 
is  relieved  from  duty  one  day  during  the  week. 
Much  more  help  is  required  on  Sunday,  and  this  is 
supplied  first  by  volunteers,  then  by  League  mem- 
bers selected  by  lot  for  five  consecutive  Sundays. 
The  wholesome,  inexpensive  restaurant  meals  are 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  193 

recognized  as  the  feature  that  makes  it  possible  for 
many  members,  especially  those  who  are  parents 
with  large  families  and  without  ample  means,  to 
attend  the  League  all  day  and  evening.  For  this 
reason  those  who  are  selected  by  lot  are  expected 
to  do  their  work  cheerfully.  Teachers,  those  with 
other  special  duties,  and  all  older  members,  are 
exempt  from  restaurant  duty  unless  they  volunteer. 
Of  the  younger  members,  those  who  have  once 
been  chosen  by  lot  are  exempt  from  further  duty 
till  all  available  ones  have  served  their  turn,  then 
all  names  are  again  placed  on  the  list.  The  regular 
help  consists  of  young  League  members  who  wish 
to  learn  the  business  and  to  attend  school.  Every 
League  activity  has  an  educational  value.  With 
the  exception  of  the  manager,  each  person  regularly 
employed  in  the  restaurant  is  given  a  certain  branch 
of  the  work  for  a  prescribed  length  of  time ;  and 
the  work  is  so  divided  that  each  worker,  by  pro- 
gressive steps,  may  learn  the  entire  business,  as  far 
as  this  plan  for  progressive  division  of  labor  is 
feasible.  The  manager  is  a  capable  man  developed 
within  the  League,  and  excellent  work  upon  his 
part  is  regarded  as  essential  to  the  success  of  the 
League.  Volunteer  workers  may,  by  agreeing  to 
work  regularly  every  Sunday,  take  the  restaurant 
course  as  do  the  regular  workers,  but  the  taking  of 


194  THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

the  course  in  this  way  naturally  extends  it  over  a 
much  longer  period. 

"  The  Sunday  business  of  the  restaurant  is  very 
large,  as  many  non-members  come  to  enjoy  the 
grounds  and  the  band  concerts.  The  considerable 
extent  of  the  business  gives  exceptional  opportuni- 
ties to  learn  the  best  methods  of  accounting.  There 
is  a  great  deal  to  learn  in  the  operation  of  a 
restaurant  which  is  so  conducted  that  the  meals  are 
scientifically  prepared,  and  every  pound  of  material 
is  taken  into  account.  For  some,  this  work  is  even 
fascinating,  —  it  appears  to  be  a  real  pleasure  to 
wear  an  apron  and  act  as  assistant  cook  or  waiter 
for  a  gathering  which  consists  largely  of  relatives 
and  friends.  Especially  is  this  a  pleasure  when  one 
is  regarded  as  a  student  of  the  business.  Besides 
the  practical  education  referred  to,  this  employ- 
ment gives  an  exceptional  opportunity  to  study 
human  nature,  and  thus  aids  in  the  study  of  man. 
Furthermore,  a  close  industrial  contact  with  others, 
and  a  close  practical  study  of  any  well-developed 
business,  are  great  social  educators. 

"  These  student  employees  receive  thirty  cents 
per  hour  for  such  time  as  they  work.  Not  all  of 
the  restaurant  students  follow  this  business  in  later 
life,  but  the  business  training  alone  is  believed  to 
be  worth  while.  All  the  student  workers  who  are 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  195 

engaged  at  the  restaurant  regularly  six  hours  a  day 
attend  either  our  public  high  school  for  self-support- 
ing students,  or  a  college  in  the  city.  In  the  grant- 
ing of  employment  in  its  several  departments,  the 
League  recently  decided  to  give  preference  to  self- 
supporting  students. 

"  Assiuning  a  previous  or  present  high-school 
training  in  chemistry  and  bookkeeping,  the  restau- 
rant course  requires  from  one  to  two  years  of  prac- 
tical work  and  study  in  food  preparation." 

We  were  also  shown  several  noteworthy  details 
that  would  be  of  interest  to  men  in  the  restaurant 
business. 

WhUe  at  luncheon,  we  referred  to  the  unusual 
degree  of  comradeship  manifested  between  hus- 
bands and  wives.  Our  acquaintance  thought  this 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  both  take  parts  of  the  same 
extended  Sunday  study  course,  and,  when  possible, 
join  the  same  classes.  To  a  certain  extent  this  class 
work  creates  a  similarity  of  thought  which  leads  to 
closer  comradeship.  He  said  that  those  studies 
which  relate  particularly  to  man  tend  especially  to 
strengthen  the  companionship  and  mutual  sympathy 
of  those  who  live  and  learn  together. 

"Who  provides  the  means  to  erect  all  these 
buildings  and  to  keep  them  in  such  good  repair  ?  " 
we  asked. 


196  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

"  As  yet,  the  buildings  are  provided  largely  by 
those  members  who  are,  financially,  more  success- 
ful," our  companion  replied.  "  Mechanic  members, 
when  out  of  work,  sometimes  give  their  services 
free,  and  the  majority  of  the  League  ministers 
know  how  to  do  a  mechanic's  work.  They  have  but 
little  time  to  spare,  but  that  little  is  often  willingly 
given  to  the  hammer  or  the  saw  when  this  service 
is  needed.  Our  ministers,  you  see,  are  practical  men 
who  accept  only  moderate  salaries  and  live  simple, 
unostentatious  lives  —  lives  that  are  an  inspiration 
to  the  community.  These  men  find  the  pleasure  of 
preaching  to  an  intelligent,  appreciative  audience 
a  privilege  beyond  price.  The  League,  I  must 
add,  does  not  debar  women  from  entering  the  min- 
istry. 

"  The  building  committee  decides  on  all  building 
plans  ;  these  plans,  however,  must  be  approved  by  a 
majority  of  the  graduate  members.  Those  two  new 
buildings  at  your  right, —  those  in  cottage  style, — 
for  instance,  were  approved  by  ninety-five  per  cent 
of  these  members.  The  home  idea  caught  them. 
You  see,  they  are  day-nursery  buildings  where 
mothers  who  are  teaching  or  engaged  in  other  work, 
or  mothers  who  are  attending  the  lectures,  can 
leave  their  children  during  certain  hours  of  the  day. 
This  building  at  your  left  is  our  new  library  build- 


THE  SUNDAY  LEAGUE  197 

ing.  A  little  farther  on  is  the  public  high  school, 
on  a  lot  sold  to  the  county.  This  school  is  attended 
half-time,  or  one  session  each  day,  by  young  people 
employed  in  various  capacities  the  remainder  of 
the  day,  and  by  the  children  of  neighboring  farm- 
ers. The  school  was  established  for  self-supporting 
students.  The  same  course  is  given  both  forenoon 
and  afternoon,  thus  accommodating  all.  The  League 
recently  purchased  sixteen  acres  of  land  adjacent 
to  the  grounds,  and  has  divided  this  acreage  into 
eight  two-acre  lots.  As  an  experiment,  six  of  these 
lots  are  to  be  rented  to  as  many  self-supporting 
students  of  the  agricultural  department  of  the  high 
school.  If  these  students  wish,  any  two  will  be 
allowed  to  form  a  partnership  and  operate  their 
land  jointly  ;  one  can  then  attend  school  in  the 
forenoon,  and  the  other  in  the  afternoon.  The  rent 
will  cover  the  taxes,  and  the  leases  will  contain 
certain  requirements  with  which  they  must  comply. 
Six  of  the  oldest  and  most  enterprising  students 
have  formed  three  partnerships  and  will  soon  try 
the  experiment.  It  has  been  estimated  that  any 
earnest,  capable  student  of  the  agricultural  depart- 
ment can  make  more  than  a  living  from  the  two 
acres.  The  instructor  in  horticulture  will  use  the 
two  remaining  lots  as  an  experiment  station.  This 
half-day  plan  is  bringing  about  remarkable  results, 


198  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

because  the  students  have  learned  economic  and 
educational  values. 

"  On  Sundays,  the  high-school  building  is  used 
for  lecture  rooms.  We  have  two  amusement  haUs 
with  well-appointed  stages.  Over  there  on  the  hill- 
side among  the  trees  is  our  Greek  theatre,  where, 
in  favorable  weather,  lectures,  concerts,  and  plays 
are  given.  During  inclement  weather  the  entertain- 
ments are  given  in  the  halls.  The  players  and  mu- 
sicians are  usually  members  of  the  League  who  are 
of  artistic  temperament,  and  much  of  their  work  is 
better  than  some  that  is  considered  professional. 
These  men  and  women  donate  their  services  on 
Sunday.  One  group  has  developed  talent  equal  to 
that  of  the  better  professional  actors,  and  each  Sun- 
day they  give  creditable  performances  of  such  plays 
as  are  not  only  artistic,  but  morally  instructive. 
These  Sunday  plays  attract  large  numbers  of  non- 
members  from  the  city. 

"  This  power  house  we  are  passing  is  operated  by 
a  few  high-school  students  under  the  guidance  of  a 
teaching  manager.  Surplus  light  and  power  are  sold 
to  the  neighboring  farmers  at  a  small  margin  of 
profit.  The  plant  is  operated  in  much  the  same  way 
as  the  restaurant." 

We  soon  reached  the  limits  of  the  space  reserved 
for  buildings,  and  the  conversation  turned  to  the  rem- 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  199 

nant  of  forest  that  surrounds  the  reserved  square. 
We  were  told  that  the  park  is  open  to  the  public 
every  day  from  seven  A.  m.  to  ten  P.  M.  In  the  even- 
ing the  grounds  are  always  brilliantly  illuminated. 
On  Saturday,  school  children  are  carried  on  the  cars 
from  the  city  to  the  League  for  five  cents  a  round 
trip. 

"  For  the  building  of  character,  one  of  the  best 
results  of  League  education  is  early  marriage.  The 
League,  through  its  concern  for  the  next  genera- 
tion, takes  a  deep,  yet  unobtrusive  interest  in  every 
wedding,  —  an  interest  which  is  confined  largely  to 
the  careful  teaching  of  the  purposes,  duties,  and 
ethics  of  married  life.  This  care  for  the  next  gener- 
ation creates  a  desire  to  have  every  union  as  nearly 
ideal  as  possible.  As  a  result,  divorces  among 
League  members  are  rare  and  solemn  occasions. 
The  private  life  of  the  members,  except  such  quiet 
study  hours  as  they  may  maintain  at  their  homes, 
is  an  open  book.  Through  the  effect  of  the  study 
of  man,  and  through  the  intellectual  contact  with 
older  people  who  have  taken  the  study,  the  young 
people  learn  to  know  one  another  as  well  at  twenty 
or  twenty-five  years  of  age  as  they  would  otherwise 
at  thirty  or  thirty-five.  This  knowledge  makes 
marriage  less  of  a  lottery.  The  League  education 
makes  a  simple  and  inexpensive  way  of  living  look 


200  THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

attractive  to  young  people,  and  it  teaches  how  a 
sensible  young  couple  can  live  comfortably  on  the 
earnings  of  an  able  man  of  twenty-five.  If  all 
people  should  become  wise  enough  at  twenty-five 
to  be  able  to  lead  happy  married  lives,  and  if  con- 
ditions favored  the  finding  of  the  right  kind  of  life 
partner,  how  little  of  vice  would  be  left !  Marriage 
under  such  conditions  would  make  the  rearing  of 
children  the  greatest  of  pleasures,  and  the  much-de- 
plored race  suicide  would  be  permanently  checked. 
The  man  who  has  had  a  good  educational  training 
up  to  his  twenty-fifth  year  and  who  has  seen  much 
of  the  best  side  of  life,  is  mentally  better  prepared 
to  marry  than  is  the  average  man  of  thirty-five.  It 
is  the  ignorance  that  prevails  between  the  ages  of 
sixteen  and  twenty-five,  and  the  inexperience  in 
things  that  are  good,  that  are  chiefly  responsible 
for  the  start  on  the  road  to  immorality. 

In  answer  to  a  question,  we  were  told  that  the 
Sunday  League  is  maintained  by  moderate  quarterly 
dues,  which  vary  in  amount,  by  certain  profits,  and 
by  certain  admission  fees  required  from  non-mem- 
bers. An  inheritance  fund  is  becoming  popular,  and 
is  growing  to  some  proportions.  The  income  from 
this  fund  may  be  used  for  League  expenses,  and 
the  princij3al  may  be  used  for  buildings.  The  re- 
strictions upon  the  use  of  this  fund  are  generally 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  201 

satisfactory,  and  any  one  wishing  to  do  so  can  be- 
queath any  sum  to  the  fund.  Notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  the  dues  are  moderate,  some  think  that 
they  cannot  afford  to  join  the  League.  Often,  how- 
ever, the  solicitor  for  membership  can  prove  to  such 
persons  that  by  cutting  down  his  expenses  for  to- 
bacco, theatres,  excursions,  and  other  items  that  can 
be  curtailed  or  entirely  dispensed  with,  the  League 
dues  can  easily  be  paid.  Then,  too,  the  educational 
benefits  are  sometimes  estimable  in  dollars,  for  the 
entire  study  course  shows  the  advantages  of  simple 
living,  and  teaches  numerous  economies  not  known 
to  many  inexperienced  husbands  and  wives. 

The  activity  around  us  turned  our  thoughts  to 
the  empty  homes  with  the  unused  kitchens  and  the 
bare  dining-tables.  We  asked  our  companion  if 
some  of  these  people  did  not  miss  the  Sunday  home 
dinner  and  its  social  influence,  and  whether  the  en- 
tire Sunday  away  from  home  did  not  impair  home 
life. 

"  Saturday  evening,"  he  replied,  "  has  become, 
with  many,  the  time  for  the  weekly  family  reunions. 
The  young  men  whose  work  keeps  them  away  from 
home  all  the  week  come  back  for  the  Saturday  even- 
ing dinner,  remain  to  attend  the  League  on  Sunday, 
and  then  return  to  the  place  of  their  employment 
at  night  or  early  Monday  morning.  Whenever  the 


202  THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

mother  can  attend  the  League,  she  has  a  day  of 
genuine  change  and  rest,  and  each  child  has  proba- 
bly had  a  better  time  than  he  would  have  had  at  home. 
Besides  his  Sunday  lesson  designed  to  impress  some 
moral  principle,  the  child  may  have  received  train- 
ing in  the  gymnasium,  or  the  swimming  pool,  or 
he  may  have  spent  time  among  the  trees  and  flowers. 
At  the  gymnasium  he  may  have  been  taught  the 
value  of  some  physical  exercise  for  the  correction  of 
a  slight  imperfection  of  his  body.  Perhaps  the  rules 
of  some  outdoor  sport  were  taught  to  the  class  while 
the  game  was  being  practiced.  Here  I  may  explain 
that  it  is  one  of  the  purposes  of  the  gymnasium  to 
teach  the  children  how  to  play  many  outdoor  games. 
The  Sunday  spent  in  this  wholesome  way  gives  food 
for  thought,  and  the  home  life  as  well  as  the  busi- 
ness life  of  the  ensuing  week  is  energized." 

In  the  afternoon  we  listened  to  one  of  the  series 
of  lectures  for  children  who  were  about  to  pass  the 
sixth  grade.  In  the  evening  we  heard  a  similar  but 
more  mature  discussion  of  secondary  education. 
This  was  given  to  children  about  to  leave  the  eighth 
grade.  Many  parents  were  present  at  both  lectures. 
At  these  lectures  we  noticed  what  we  had  observed 
before,  —  the  imiformly  courteous  manner  and  the 
pleasing  personal  appearance  of  the  great  majority 
of  the  members.  It  was  difficult  to  distinguish  the 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  203 

merchant  or  the  doctor  from  the  mechanic  or  the 
laborer ;  all  were  equally  interested  in  any  plan  for 
the  uplifting  of  himianity.  A  fair  knowledge  of 
man  tends  to  inspire  modesty,  yet  such  knowledge 
tends  at  the  same  time  to  inspire  seK-confidence. 
Modesty,  with  confidence,  produces  the  best  man- 
ners. So  much  for  personal  actions.  In  personal 
appearance  there  was  no  material  difference  among 
the  members.  One  member  with  moderate  earnings 
might  have  five  or  six  children  to  support,  but  that 
did  not  seem  to  affect  his  own  good  appearance. 
At  first  thought  it  may  be  considered  a  small  mat- 
ter, yet  if  the  appearance  of  the  individuals  in  a 
large  League  gathering  were  changed  to  that  of 
the  usual  public  gathering,  the  League  would  soon 
lose  much  of  its  attractiveness,  and  might  finally 
cease  to  exist  as  a  democratic  institution. 

These  thoughts  led  us  to  accept  the  invitation 
of  the  head  of  the  Personal  Appearance  Depart- 
ment to  call  at  his  home.  Li  due  time  our  host  took 
us  into  his  combined  study  and  workshop,  where  we 
learned  many  things  that  interested  us.  After  the 
gymnasium  was  established,  the  instructor  saw  the 
need  of  improving  the  appearance  of  some  of  his 
pupils,  and  he  realized  that  the  desired  improve- 
ment would  be  a  difficult  task.  Accordingly,  a  de- 
partment for  this  purpose  was  established  and  placed 


204  THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE 

in  the  care  of  our  host.  The  ambition  of  this  man 
is  to  teach  every  individual  how  to  present  a  neat 
appearance.  He  is  constantly  endeavoring  to  dis- 
cover inexpensive  methods  by  which  all  wage-earn- 
ers and  their  families  may,  by  the  expenditure  of 
little  money  and  some  energy,  be  quite  as  present- 
able as  are  those  who  have  more  wealth  and  who 
have  had  better  opportunities  to  learn  the  ways  and 
means  to  present  a  good  appearance.  It  required 
work  and  patience  before  the  department  succeeded 
in  raising  the  standard  of  tidiness  to  its  present 
level;  now,  however,  good  personal  appearance  is 
such  a  matter  of  course  that,  without  special  effort, 
the  children  learn  how  to  be  neat  and  clean. 

In  order  to  give  an  idea  of  the  value  of  this  de- 
partment, we  shall  try  to  explain  briefly  one  of 
the  many  divisions  of  its  most  practical  and  inter- 
esting work.  For  example,  it  publishes  a  pam- 
phlet on  the  care  of  the  teeth.  This  pamphlet 
describes  the  various  dijfficulties  encountered  by 
different  persons  in  keeping  the  teeth  in  order, 
and  gives  instructions  for  keeping  them  in  good 
condition  and  looking  attractive  at  nominal  ex- 
pense. The  pamphlet  tells  the  inexperienced  that 
those  who  have  normal  mouth  secretions  need  only 
use  dental  floss  daily  and  rinse  the  teeth  with  water ; 
others  less  fortunate  in  this  respect  must,  in  addi- 


THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE  205 

tion,  use  brush  and  powder ;  while  for  still  others 
further  treatment  of  the  teeth  is  prescribed.  It  is 
shown  how  a  person  requiring  the  daily  use  of  pow- 
der and  brush  in  addition  to  the  floss  must  spend 
for  this  purpose,  even  with  careful  buying,  at  least 
$1.25  per  year.  The  pamphlet  also  shows  how  this 
expense  can  be  reduced  to  twenty-five  cents  per 
year.  This  saving  is  brought  about  in  part  by  the 
use  of  a  home-made  dental  floss  and  powder.  A 
new  and  economical  device  in  toothbrushes  is  de- 
scribed, and  is  to  be  introduced  by  the  League. 
Many  families  of  six  who  purchase  supplies  in  the 
ordinary  way  pay  at  least  $7.50  for  floss,  brushes, 
and  powder.  This  is  more  than  the  less  fortunate 
can  pay,  and  without  these  essentials,  the  teeth  are 
more  or  less  neglected.  By  following  the  advice 
given  in  the  pamphlet,  the  expense  for  such  a 
family  may  be  reduced  so  that  it  will  not  exceed 
$1.50  per  year.  Although  the  materials  recom- 
mended are  inexpensive,  their  use  will  keep  the 
teeth  in  perfect  order.  All  materials  recommended 
for  the  care  of  the  teeth  are  endorsed  by  the  den- 
tists in  the  League  and  by  several  of  the  best  den- 
tal colleges. 

As  it  is  with  the  teeth,  so  it  is  with  everything 
about  the  appearance  of  even  the  humblest  mem- 
bers :  the  straw  hat  will  be  white  and  fresh  as  new, 


206  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

yet  it  may  be  old ;  the  collar  and  tie  will  be  fault- 
lessly clean ;  the  shoes  will  be  well  polished  with  a 
home-made  polish  of  serviceable  yet  most  inexpens- 
ive material,  and  by  special  treatment  they  will 
be  made  to  wear  well ;  the  clothes,  even  though  in- 
expensive, will  be  spotless  and  free  from  dust ;  the 
hair,  face,  and  hands  will  show  that  their  owner 
has  learned  how  to  take  care  of  them.  This  de- 
partment has  found  such  inexpensive  and  ingenious 
ways  to  accomplish  these  and  other  things  that  the 
usual  income  of  a  laboring  man's  family,  even  if 
the  family  is  large,  will  permit  the  carrying  out  of 
these  details.  This,  however,  might  not  be  possible 
if  the  other  departments  did  not  show  how  to  spend 
the  income  to  the  best  advantage  in  other  directions. 
These  practical  methods  of  economy  are  published, 
and  they  are  especially  appreciated  by  yoimg  mar- 
ried people  who  are  building  and  furnishing  new 
homes. 

The  Sunday  League  has  much  in  common  with 
the  Institutional  Church,  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  the  University  Settlement,  and 
certain  phases  of  Chautauqua  work.  It  might  almost 
be  taken  for  a  composite  of  these  activities.  The 
League,  however,  has  on  Sundays  both  the  week- 
day work  and  the  Sunday  work  of  the  two  first-men- 
tioned institutions ;  but  it  is  not  more  for  Christians 


THE   SUNDAY  LEAGUE  207 

than  for  those  belonging  to  the  long  list  of  other 
faiths  among  which  men  are  divided.  The  purpose 
of  the  League  is  the  raising  of  the  standard  of  man- 
hood and  womanhood  regardless  of  religious  belief. 
Differing  religious  beliefs  have  their  place  in  the 
League  if  they  wish  place,  as  the  thoughtfully 
planned  methods  in  no  way  interfere  with  the 
free  expression  of  the  individuality  of  its  members. 

Another  point  in  which  the  League  differs  from 
the  other  institutions  mentioned  is  in  the  fact  that, 
eventually,  it  is  to  be  maintained  entirely  by  the 
regular  dues  for  membership ;  it  will  not  accept 
donations,  except  such  gifts  as  may  be  willed  to  its 
inheritance  fund.  This  sentiment  is  the  outgrowth 
of  increased  knowledge  and  the  consequent  spirit 
of  independence.  In  time,  a  fair  knowledge  of  man 
wiU  be  possessed  by  practically  all ;  and  at  such 
time  each  individual  will  be  respected  and  honored 
in  proportion  to  his  perfection  of  character.  The 
money  ideal  will  fade  as  true  knowledge  advances, 
and  no  one  will  be  granted  the  privilege  of  paying 
more  than  his  proper  share  towards  any  public 
activity. 

To  the  League,  the  uplifting  of  humanity  means 
not  only  a  bettering  of  the  laborer's  condition,  but 
an  effecting,  through  education,  of  the  virtual  elimi- 
nation of  laborer  and  master  as  separate  classes. 


208  THE   SUNDAY   LEAGUE 

The  League  is  confident  that  two  generations  of 
education,  approximate  justice,  right  living  condi- 
tions, and  freer  sway  to  individuality,  —  all  of  which 
things  are  furthered  by  its  work,  —  will  fairly  accom- 
plish this  end.  The  true  friend  of  humanity  can  have 
no  rest  until  all  men  have  the  opportunity  for  the 
highest  development  of  which  they  are  capable.  The 
common  and  most  essential  work  will  not  suffer  in 
the  hands  of  educated  men,  whereas  at  present  it 
often  suffers  in  the  hands  of  the  uneducated.  This 
is  a  long  look  ahead,  but  the  best  way  to  accomplish 
an  end  is  to  keep  the  final  purpose  fresh  in  mind  so 
that  every  effort  made  along  the  way  will  be  an  effort 
in  the  right  direction. 

With  variations  that  are  not  vital,  the  Sunday 
League  is  in  existence  at  the  present  time.  Its  good 
features,  however,  are  scattered,  some  here  and  some 
there.  By  the  universal  law  of  attraction,  they  are 
drawing  together  to  build  a  complete  institution, 
and  the  present  century  may  reasonably  expect  to 
see  a  Sunday  League  more  nearly  ideal  than  the 
one  here  described. 


NATIONAL  EDUCATION  PARTY 

A  FUTURE  political  party  might  be  called  the  "Na- 
tional Education  Party."  The  purpose  of  this  party 
would  be  to  make  cautious  experiments  in  govern- 
ment and  in  public  education,  and  especially  to 
effect  a  more  general  distribution  of  a  wise  second- 
ary and  higher  school  education.  As  such  education 
must  always  be  the  important  feature  in  the  solution 
of  every  great  political  question,  and  since  this  is 
especially  true  of  the  temperance  question,  the  Tem- 
perance Party  might,  for  a  time,  become  the  temper- 
ance branch  of  the  Education  Party.  Others  of  the 
smaller  parties,  and  progressive  sections  of  the  Re- 
publican and  Democratic  parties,  might  temporarily 
adopt  the  same  course.  This  united  effort  might  be 
maintained  until  the  principal  common  objects  were 
accomplished.  The  "National  Education  Party" 
might  have  a  platform  consisting  of  sections  num- 
bered as  follows,  approximately  in  the  order  sup- 
posed to  be  best  for  their  practical  application  :^  — 
1.  Direct  Primary  Laws  of  the  most  approved 
form. 

^  In  this  list  of  sug^gestions,  those  that  are  printed  in  italics  are 
full  or  partial  copies  of  some  of  the  best  "  Demands  "  in  the  Social- 
ist platform  of  1908. 


210    NATIONAL   EDUCATION   PARTY 

2.  The  initiative  and  referendum^  proportional 
representation,  and  the  right  of  recall. 

3.  The  organization  of  a  National  Taxation  Com- 
mission and  of  auxiliary  state  commissions  whose 
duty  it  shall  be  to  evolve  a  more  scientific  system 
of  taxation. 

4.  For  experimental  purposes  only,  local  option 
by  counties  as  to  the  method  of  taxation,  —  this  local 
option  to  be  limited  to  one  county  in  each  state, 
and  limited  also  to  the  various  methods  of  taxation 
prescribed  for  experimental  purposes  by  the  Na- 
tional and  State  Taxation  Commissions. 

5.  The  making  of  experiments  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  Taxation  Commissions  to  determine  the 
feasibility  of  the  gradual  introduction  of  a  system  of 
combined  Single  Tax  and  what  may  be  called  a 
"Graduated  Real  Estate  Income  Tax."  The  pur- 
pose of  this  system  of  taxation  is  to  keep  down  the 
price  of  land,  and  otherwise  to  prevent  excessive 
rents.  ^ 

1  It  is  believed  that  Single  Tax  alone  would  in  some  cases  ac- 
complish the  desired  purpose  for  a  limited  time  only,  after  which 
a  "  Graduated  Real  Estate  Income  Tax  "  might  be  applied  to  any 
excessive  rents  that  might  appear.  When  strict  government  reg- 
ulation of  public  utilities,  or  government  ownership  thereof,  ia 
more  general,  and  when  voluntary  cooperation  in  industry  and 
trade  is  more  common,  the  question  of  taxation  will  be  simpler 
than  at  present.  Only  under  conditions  such  as  these  can  reforms 
in  taxation  have  a  permanently  good  effect. 


NATIONAL   EDUCATION   PARTY    211 

6.  The  enactment  of  further  measures  for  gevr 
eral  education  and  for  the  conservation  of  health. 
The  Bureau  of  Education  to  he  made  a  department. 
The  creation  of  a  department  of  public  health, 

7.  The  making,  under  government  supervision, 
of  a  number  of  experiments  with  public  works  schools. 
The  plan  of  these  schools  provides  for  young  men 
and  women  an  opportunity  to  earn  an  education  by 
doing  public  work.  In  case  of  successful  results  from 
these  experiments,  the  establishment  of  public  works 
school  departments  for  self-supporting  students  in 
all  high  schools  and  colleges.^ 

8.  The  establishment  of  state  normal  schools  that 
provide  seven  hours  daily  of  industrial  work  and 
three  hours  daily  of  school  work.  The  business  fur- 
nishing this  industrial  work  to  be  reserved  as  a  state 
monopoly,  and  the  wages  for  seven  hours  of  daily 
labor  to  be  sufficient  to  support  a  family.  The  ob- 
ject of  these  schools  shall  be  to  encourage  young 
men  to  take  up  the  vocation  of  teaching.  ^ 

*  An  outline  for  combining  school  work  and  municipal  em- 
ployment is  more  fully  elaborated  in  the  article  "  Public  Works 
High  Schools."  One  result  of  these  schools  will  be  that  they 
will  make  of  the  students  efficient  workers  in  public  as  well  as  in 
private  enterprises. 

2  A  plan  that  would  apply  to  a  school  of  this  nature  is  described 
in  the  article  "  Manufacturing  Works  High  Schools  "  ;  this  plan 
is  equally  applicable  to  a  school  for  young  men. 


212    NATIONAL   EDUCATION   PARTY 

9.  The  government  ownership  of  railroads^  tel- 
egraphs, telephones,  steamship  lines,  and  all  other 
means  of  transportation  and  communication. 

10.  The  government  ownership  of  the  lumber 
industry. 

11.  The  government  ownership  of  the  Portland 
cement  industry. 

12.  The  government  ownership  of  grain  eleva- 
tors. 

13.  The  government  ownership  of  all  industries 
which  are  organized  on  a  national  scale  and  in 
which  competition  has  virtually  ceased  to  exist. 

14.  The  government  ownership  of  mines,  quar- 
ries, cement  deposits,  oil  wells,  forests,  and  water 
power. 

15.  The  municipal  ownership  of  water  works, 
electric  light  and  power  plants,  gas  works,  and  street 
car  lines. 

16.  This  government  and  municipal  ownership 
to  be  effected  only  as  properly  equipped  students 
and  graduates  of  public  works  schools  are  avail- 
able for  the  purpose  of  operating  such  activities. 

17.  The  scientific  reforesting  of  timber  lands, 
and  the  reclamation  of  swamp  lands;  the  land  so  re- 
forested or  reclaimed  to  he  permanently  retained  as 
part  of  the  public  domain,  and  the  income  therefrom 
to  be  used  in  part  for  additional  school  facilities. 


NATIONAL   EDUCATION   PARTY    213 

18.  The  establishment  of  a  Department  of  Pub- 
lic Ownership  and  Voluntary  Cooperation  for  the 
distribution  of  such  knowledge  as  will  further 
municipal  and  government  ownership  of  public  utili- 
ties, and  voluntary  cooperation  in  mercantile  and 
manufacturing  activities.  A  special  purpose  of  this 
department  shall  be  the  publication  of  knowledge 
necessary  for  the  construction  and  operation  of  pub- 
lic utility  works. 

19.  The  establishment,  for  national  defense,  of 
a  militia  composed  of  self-supporting  students  em- 
ployed at  public  work.  Approximately  six  hours 
of  drilling,  eighteen  hours  of  school  attendance,  and 
thirty  hours  of  work  per  week  to  be  required  from 
each  militiaman. 

20.  The  establishment,  for  national  defense,  of  an 
adequate  regular  army  composed  of  self-supporting 
student  soldiers.  Approximately  twenty-four  hours 
of  drilling,  eighteen  hours  of  industrial  work,  and 
eighteen  hours  of  school  attendance  to  be  required 
per  week.  The  industrial  work  is  to  be  such  as  is 
required  to  equip  and  maintain  the  army  and  navy. 
As  far  as  possible,  the  drilling  is  to  be  given  with 
a  view  to  physical  culture. 

21.  The  establishment,  for  national  defense,  of 
an  adequate  navy  under  a  plan  similar  to  that  just 
given  for  the  army.     School  ships  or  combined 


214    NATIONAL   EDUCATION   PARTY 

school  ships  and  colliers  to  accompany  the  war- 
ships. 

22.  The  maintenance  of  such  militia,  army,  and 
navy  until  the  people  of  all  great  nations,  through 
education  and  experience,  have  so  far  advanced  in 
moral  and  aesthetic  development  that  war  will  be 
outside  of  the  realm  of  possibilities. 

23.  Provision  for  special  elections  for  women 
only,  —  these  elections  to  be  on  the  question  of 
limited  suffrage  for  women,  to  be  followed  in  ten 
years  by  general  suffrage.  In  order  to  carry  the 
question,  a  majority  vote  of  the  women  shall  be  re- 
quired, and  this  majority  vote  shall  not  be  less  than 
the  number  representing  one  half  of  the  registered 
men  voters. 

24.  The  appointment  of  a  National  Monetary 
Commission  to  find  a  unit  of  value  that  will  an- 
swer the  purposes  of  money,  but  that  will  not  con- 
sume so  much  energy  as  does  the  production  of 
gold  and  silver  coin.  The  commission  to  be  directed 
to  investigate  a  plan  for  a  paper  dollar  with  a  com- 
posite base,  as  soon  as  the  government  owns  the 
grain  elevators,  and  either  owns  the  mines  or  con- 
trols the  products  thereof.  Each  one  hundred  dol- 
lars to  represent  a  given  quantity  of  the  following 
and  similar  products :  wheat,  oats,  com,  rice,  gold, 
silver,  nickel,  copper,  lead,  iron. 


NATIONAL   EDUCATION  PARTY    215 

25.  The  organization  of  a  permanent  tariff  com- 
mission composed  of  one  member  from  each  state, 
the  members  to  be  elected  directly  by  the  people. 
The  annual  reduction  in  the  tariff  on  each  article 
now  protected,  —  this  reduction  to  be  six  per  cent 
of  present  tariff  rates,  provided,  however,  that  the 
reduction  may  at  any  time  be  suspended,  if  proof  is 
furnished  which  satisfies  the  commission  that  a  fur- 
ther lessening  of  rates  would  be  inimical  to  fair 
profits  and  to  the  American  standard  of  wages. 

26.  The  formation  of  a  National  Political  Sci- 
ence Commission,  the  duty  of  which  shall  be  to 
suggest  to  the  country  at  large  what  it  considers 
the  most  needed  laws.  The  formation  of  similar 
state  commissions. 

27.  The  continuance  of  all  present  special  com- 
missions, and  the  formation  of  others  for  the  pur- 
pose of  seeking  such  knowledge  as  is  needed  for 
good  government. 


SOCIAL   SYSTEM  — EDUCATION — 
RACE  SUICIDE 

The  best  social  system  would  provide  continuous 
occupation  for  every  man,  whether  his  capabilities 
were  great  or  small.  The  occupation  provided 
would  be  such  as  is  well  suited  to  the  worker,  but 
he  would  be  given  every  practicable  opportunity 
to  change  his  occupation  at  will.  At  its  best,  the 
system  should  provide  such  remuneration  to  the 
individual  as  would  represent  as  nearly  as  possible 
the  worth  of  his  labors,  both  in  the  quantity  and 
in  the  quality  of  the  work  done. 

Under  present  conditions  of  civilization,  the  ac- 
tivities are  so  specialized  as  to  make  it  seemingly 
an  impossible  task  to  plan  a  social  system  that 
approaches  even  approximate  fairness.  It  requires 
comparatively  no  thought  to  leave  all  social  pro- 
blems to  work  themselves  out  as  best  they  may  un- 
der the  unfair,  crude,  and  clumsy  methods  of  "  in- 
dustrial competition  "  and  "  supply  and  demand  " 
that  are  still  in  force  against  the  average  man,  and 
that  bring  wholly  unearned  hardships  upon  many 
who  are  favored  with  less  than  their  share  of  good 


RACE   SUICIDE  217 

fortune.  Strict  government  supervision  of  all  im- 
portant industries,  —  a  supervision  approaching  gov- 
ernment ownership ;  government  ownership  itself  ; 
and  better  public  education  are  at  present  the 
principal  movements  toward  making  employment 
steadier,  more  available  to  all,  and  more  justly 
remunerative. 

Without  an  unrestrained  growth  in  secondary 
and  higher  education,  a  social  system  cannot  be  at 
its  best.  Since  most  young  people  will  always  de- 
pend on  their  own  resources,  the  best  social  sys- 
tem will  provide  for  every  self-supporting  young 
person  who  desires  an  education,  an  opportunity 
to  earn  the  expenses  of  school  attendance.  Under 
a  well-planned  programme  combining  education 
and  remunerative  occupation,  practically  all  cap- 
able young  people  would,  in  time,  avail  themselves 
of  at  least  a  secondary-school  education.  When  this 
stage  of  education  is  reached,  the  vexatious  wage 
question  will  largely  adjust  itself.  As  education  ad- 
vances, both  individual  wages  and  individual  capa- 
city will  tend  toward  equalization.  In  addition  to 
the  qualifications  already  mentioned,  the  best  social 
system  would  make  it  plainly  apparent  that  a  man 
must  be  estimated  both  according  to  his  intellect, 
and  according  to  his  attitude  toward  others  and 
toward  himself. 


218  RACE  SUICIDE 

Under  a  social  system  such  as  that  described, 
most  fathers  and  mothers  would  be  well  informed, 
refined  in  character,  and  economically  well  situ- 
ated. This  enlightenment  of  parents  would  cause 
them  to  regard  the  rearing  of  a  child  as  a  pleasure 
infinitely  deeper  than  that  with  which  an  artist  re- 
gards the  painting  of  his  masterpiece.  Art  in  its 
broadest  meaning  is  the  soul  of  life.  By  the  time 
that  the  art  of  rearing  children  —  an  art  which  in- 
volves all  knowledge  —  is  recognized  as  the  high- 
est of  all  arts,  race  suicide  will  be  a  thing  of  the 
past. 


ONE  WAY  TO  SPEND  TWO  MILLIONS 
FOR  THE  PUBLIC  GOOD^ 

The  country  is  seriously  in  need  of  all  the  reforms, 
or  "  advance  "  movements  that  are  now  under  way. 
Some  are  more  needed  than  others,  but  none  are 
more  necessary  than  those  which  promise  advance 
along  lines  of  secondary  education.  This  advance 
should  lead  to  a  more  general  distribution  of  this 
education,  and  improvement  in  its  quality.  This 
better  education  is  needed  to  give  value  to  the 
good  work  being  done  in  all  other  advance  move- 
ments. 

The  foregoing  belief  accounts  for  the  following 
suggestion  for  the  use  of  a  fund  of  two  million 
dollars  designed  to  improve  general  conditions. 
Each  step  in  the  suggestion  is  given  on  the  assump- 
tion that  all  previously  given  steps  have  worked 
out  as  desired. 

Reserve  enough  to  cover  the  expenses  of  investi- 
gation, and  place  the  fund  in  charge  of  a  trust  com- 

^  The  paper  on  this  subject  was  written  by  request ;  its  purpose 
is  to  explain  how  a  manufacturing  works  high  school  may  be  made 
into  a  public  institutioB<. 


220     HOW  TO  SPEND  TWO  MILLIONS 

pany  to  invest  in  loans.  Study  the  cotton  mill  busi- 
ness, —  say  in  Georgia,  —  and  select  a  suitable  mill 
whose  owners  desire  to  cooperate  in  carrying  out 
the  following  ideas  :  — 

Organize  a  school  equipped  to  teach  one  hundred 
sixteen-year-old  pupils  in  the  forenoon  and  a  like 
number  in  the  afternoon.  Gradually  induce  two 
himdred  young  people  of  the  vicinity  to  work  five 
hours  and  attend  school  three  hours  daily ;  and 
send  one  haK  to  school  in  the  forenoon,  and  the 
other  half  in  the  afternoon.  As  rapidly  as  practi- 
cable, increase  the  standard  of  the  school  until  it  is 
a  first-class  high  school. 

From  the  fund,  supplement  the  student  workers' 
wages  so  that  a  reasonable  amount  of  energetic 
work  will  yield  enough  to  pay  a  little  more  than 
the  necessary  expenses  of  living  and  school  attend- 
ance. 

In  order  to  guide  the  young  people  into  eco- 
nomical ways  of  living,  have  a  course  in  the  school 
on  personal  expenditures. 

Gradually  change  the  personnel  of  the  working 
force  until  all  but  superintendents  are  student 
workers  of  sixteen  years  and  over. 

Enlarge  the  experiment  until  the  entire  annual 
income  from  the  fund  is  consumed.  Estimating  a 
low  net  income  and  a  high  expense  rate,  it  is  pos- 


HOW  TO  SPEND  TWO  MILLIONS     221 

sible  that  only  four  hundred  students  could  be 
accommodated. 

Induce  the  city  or  the  school  district  to  reimburse 
the  fund  for  the  cost  of  the  school  building  and 
equipment. 

Induce  the  National  Child  Labor  Committee  to 
furnish  and  apply  labels  to  the  products  of  the 
mill,  and  have  these  labels  state  how  much  per 
yard  extra  each  kind  of  cloth  costs  in  consequence  of 
the  school  plan.  Also  induce  the  committee  to  urge 
all  who  are  in  sympathy  with  its  work  to  demand 
the  goods  from  this  mill  at  the  slightly  advanced 
price. 

Buy  the  cotton  mill  at  a  prearranged  price. 

As  soon  as  the  public  demands  more  than  the 
output  at  a  price  that  pays  additional  cost  of  cloth 
from  this  miU,  the  fund  will  be  relieved  of  supple- 
menting the  students'  wages.  Extend  the  plan  to 
other  mills  as  fast  as  this  condition  makes  it  pos- 
sible. 

In  order  to  make  the  work  more  interesting,  let 
the  school  curriculum  include  a  complete  study  of 
the  business,  from  the  purchasing  of  the  raw  ma- 
terial to  the  collecting  of  accounts. 

For  educational  purposes  and  to  avoid  monotony, 
vary  the  students'  mill  work  occasionally,  and  later 
give  older  students  some  voice  in  the  management, 


222     HOW  TO  SPEND  TWO  MILLIONS 

as  suggested  in  the  article  on  "  Manufacturing 
Works  High  Schools." 

Net  profits  should  be  used  either  to  extend  the 
plan  or  to  lower  the  prices,  as  circumstances  might 
indicate. 

Induce  state  legislatures  to  recognize  cotton 
manufacturing  as  a  public  school  industry,  and  to 
extend  the  plan  as  fast  as  suitable  graduate  work- 
ers from  the  first  mill  can  be  obtained  to  manage 
other  mills. 

If  dispensing  with  the  net  profit  would  offset 
the  better  wages  and  place  selling  prices  as  low  as 
those  established  by  privately  owned  mills,  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  disposing  of  the  product 
of  school  mills  under  any  rate  of  increase  in  output. 
Corruption  or  negligence  in  the  business  would  be 
impossible,  as  all  the  current  details  of  the  business 
would  be  given  in  the  school  course,  and  would  be 
studied  by  pupils  and  teachers. 


A  FEARLESS   CHURCH— A    BETTER 
COUNTRY 

It  is  said  that  it  is  useless  to  think  of  having  a 
better  country  until  there  is  a  fundamental  im- 
provement in  human  nature ;  and  it  is  also  said 
that  any  fundamental  change  in  human  nature  is  a 
matter  of  centuries  of  time.  This  argument  is  used 
against  activity  designed  to  improve  political  con- 
ditions, and  especially  against  all  movements  in- 
tended to  bring  about  government  control  or  own- 
ership of  public  utilities.  It  is  often  urged  that  no 
reform  effort  is  of  lasting  benefit,  because  the  pub- 
lic is  either  hopelessly  incompetent  or  hopelessly 
corruptible. 

All  that  is  necessary  in  order  to  have  a  better 
country  than  we  at  present  enjoy  is  to  use  to  good 
advantage  such  reasoning  power  as  we  now  pos- 
sess. All  we  need  is  a  little  clearing  of  our  mental 
vision.  The  problem  is  largely  a  matter  of  awaken- 
ing each  individual  to  his  present  power  for  good, 
and  of  showing  him  the  best  use  to  which  he  can 
put  his  present  capabilities. 

Do  we  put  these  capabilities  to  the  best  use  by 


224  A   BETTER  COUNTRY 

spending  our  time  in  the  accumulation  of  money  so 
that  we  may  eventually  live  in  extravagant  luxury, 
wear  expensive  clothes,  eat  expensive  foods,  attend 
costly  social  entertainments,  live  in  a  locality  known 
as  the  most  exclusive,  travel  for  the  opportunity  of 
posing  as  travelers,  or  for  the  purpose  of  driving 
away  domestic  ennui  that  should  not  exist  ?  Does 
not  such  use  of  our  capabilities,  of  our  power  to 
reason,  result  in  a  relatively  characterless  and 
empty  life  ?  Is  such  life  really  —  life  ?  Do  we  put 
our  reasoning  power  to  good  use  when  we  spend 
our  time  accumulating  money  in  order  that  we  may 
lovingly  grant  every  whim  of  our  children  ;  in  order 
that  we  may  favor  relatives,  friends,  and  passing 
strangers,  and  thus  put  them  under  some  kind  of 
obligation  to  us,  —  call  it  obligation  of  friendship 
if  you  will?  A  life  so  spent  may  be  a  step  higher 
than  the  one  previously  described,  but  it  is  far 
from  the  ideal  life.  Is  our  reasoning  power  well 
directed  if  we  spend  our  time  in  accumulating 
money,  not  for  personal  comfort,  but  for  the  pur- 
pose of  lessening  the  pain  of  sympathy  that  we 
feel  because  of  the  suffering  we  see  about  us  ?  It 
is  not  well-directed  reason  if  we  relieve  that  suffer- 
ing merely  with  the  salve  of  alms,  gifts,  or  free 
service.  Such  relief  does  not  cure,  and  a  life  so 
spent  is  not  the  life  of  a  strong  man. 


A  BETTER  COUNTRY  225 

Is  not  tliat  man's  reasoning  power  well  directed 
who  studies  his  own  character  and  develops  his  own 
independence,  and  who,  by  example  as  well  as  by 
precept,  tries  to  develop  character  and  independ- 
ence in  every  member  of  his  family  in  order  that 
each  member  may  raise  the  standard  of  manhood? 
Is  his  reasoning  power  well-directed  if  he  develops 
in  himself  enough  of  the  spirit  of  fau'ness  to  feel 
the  unearned  suffering  of  those  less  fortunate,  and 
the  foolish  waste  of  happiness  of  many  of  the  more 
fortunate  ?  Is  his  reasoning  power  well  directed  if 
he  spends  such  time  as  he  can  in  attempts  to  improve 
the  social  conditions  that  hinder  the  proper  devel- 
opment of  some  of  his  fellow  men  ?  Surely  the  man 
who  so  directs  his  reasoning  power  is  a  "  soldier  of 
the  common  good " ;  his  life  is  not  characterless 
and  empty  ;  he  lives  not  only  in  the  present,  but  in 
the  future  as  he  wishes  it  to  be ;  he  is  above  the 
petty  human  failings  that  impede  true  progress  ;  he 
sees  hope  for  humanity,  and  nothing  can  darken 
the  light  of  that  hope.  His  family  is  likely  to  mani- 
fest the  same  public  spirit.  His  wife  is  likely  to 
care  infinitely  less  about  display  or  the  ease  of  lux- 
ury, and  infinitely  more  about  having  her  children 
and  other  children  live  in  a  better  and  fairer  world. 
She  is  pleased  to  have  a  husband  who  is  in  truth  a 
man,  and  children  who  promise  to  become  strong, 


226  A   BETTER  COUNTRY 

modest  men  and  women.  A  simple  fireside,  a  small 
library,  a  healthy  mind,  a  well-developed  body,  the 
ability  to  do  a  specific  share  of  the  world's  work 
both  of  hand  and  of  mind,  fair  economic  and  social 
conditions,  and  the  material  and  spiritual  condi- 
tions that  residt  from  all  these  things,  are  what 
such  a  mother  hopes  for  her  children's  future. 

To  be  financially  rich  is  in  the  minds  of  the 
characterless  a  sort  of  substitute  for  richness  in 
manhood.  Financial  riches,  for  the  sake  of  such 
riches,  are  only  for  those  who  are  blind  to  the  op- 
portunities of  being  men,  instead  of  expert  money- 
getters.  It  is  this  blindness  that  so  seriously  retards 
well-balanced  political  and  industrial  progress. 

We  all  know  that  humanity  is  weak.  Edward 
may  be  jealous  of  James ;  Mary  may  be  envious  of 
Ann ;  Frank  may  mistrust  Charles  undeservedly. 
It  may  not  be  within  the  present  power  of  any  of 
these  to  overcome  their  respective  states  of  mind, 
but  every  one  of  them  can  easily  do  some  good 
work  for  humanity.  No  sane  man  ignores  the 
needs  of  humanity  ;  no  sane  man  is  jealous  or  en- 
vious of  it,  nor  does  any  sane  man  distrust  it.  The 
individual  can  more  easily  do  real  good  to  human- 
ity, taken  collectively,  than  he  can  taking  it  indi- 
vidually. Your  humanity  is  the  public  that  is  with- 
in your  sphere  of  influence.  If  you  take  advantage 


A  BETTER  COUNTRY  227 

erf  it  in  any  way,  or  if  by  indifferent  example  you 
fail  to  inspire  in  the  right  way  those  who  are 
younger  in  years,  you  are  an  enemy  of  your 
children,  of  your  children's  children,  and  of  all  hu- 
manity. This  serious  charge  applies  to  the  laborer 
who  shirks  his  work ;  to  the  senator  who  "  grafts  " ; 
to  the  monopolizer  in  land  and  other  public  re- 
sources ;  to  the  millionaire  who  spends  but  little  of 
his  time  and  money  for  the  benefit  of  institutions 
intended  to  improve  human  conditions ;  to  eveiy 
man  in  whose  mind  the  thought  of  the  service  to  be 
rendered  does  not  take  precedence  over  the  thought 
of  private  gain.  Fortimately,  when  a  man  works  for 
the  public  good  he  best  learns  how  to  do  real  good 
to  himself  and  to  those  nearest  to  him.  In  fact, 
this  is  often  the  only  practical  way  to  overcome 
the  feelings  of  antagonism  and  antipathy  that 
develop  between  individuals.  The  man  who  cares 
little  for  the  public  good  or  for  humanity  can 
care  for  an  individual  only  from  the  most  selfish 
motives.  When  the  present  degree  of  reasoning 
power  of  the  average  citizen  is  directed  toward  the 
public  good,  we  shaU  advance  as  a  nation  in  a 
manner  unprecedented. 

Not  much  longer  will  the  organized  community 
be  a  thing  to  "pluck,"  because  the  public  is  fast 
learning  to  apprehend  the  "  plucker  " ;  because  an 


228  A  BETTER  COUNTRY 

ever-increasing  number  are  learning  that  it  always 
degrades  to  act  as  a  public  parasite;  and  because 
the  individual  is  learning  that  the  community  stands 
for  humanity,  and  that  his  own,  and  especially  his 
children's  interests,  are  identical  with  the  interests 
of  humanity.  The  advancement  of  humanity,  not 
only  iof  the  good  of  the  present  generation,  but 
also  for  the  good  of  succeeding  generations,  must 
always  be  the  object  of  every  enlightened  and  well- 
balanced  mind.  It  matters  not  how  good  a  man  may 
otherwise  be,  if  he  knowingly  injures  the  public,  he 
wholly  nullifies  this  good. 

Why  do  not  more  churches  try  to  improve  the 
individual  through  his  latent  love  for  humanity  ? 
Do  many  ministers  study  the  effects  of  land  specu- 
lation, or  of  our  system  of  land  taxation  and  land 
ownership?  Do  many  ministers  study  the  practical 
workings  of  our  system  of  franchise  granting,  and 
then  offer  criticism  to  members  of  their  congrega- 
tions who  are  directors  in  companies  that  utilize 
such  franchises  improperly?  Do  many  ministers 
study  the  practical  workings  of  our  system  of  pri- 
vately owned  public  utility  businesses,  or  the  methods 
and  workings  of  our  political  conventions  and  our 
elections  in  large  cities,  and  then  argue  against 
further  wrong-doing  in  these  fields  ?  Do  many  min- 
isters  urge  those  of  their  congregation  who  are 


A  BETTER  COUNTRY  229 

best  fitted  for  the  work  to  form,  with  their  pastor's 
co(5peration,  a  society  for  the  purpose  of  studying 
sociologic  conditions,  in  order  that  he  may  intelli- 
gently discuss  child  labor  if  in  a  factory  district; 
land  speculation,  if  in  a  growing  community ;  tainted 
news,  if  a  tainted  paper  circulates  in  the  locality ; 
or  that  he  may  intelligently  discuss  the  subject 
of  taxation,  of  the  preservation  and  redemption  of 
national  resources,  and  other  topics  which  are  of 
vital  interest,  and  which,  on  account  of  their  hu- 
manitarian side,  would  be  at  least  as  stimulating 
and  elevating  morally  as  any  part  of  the  regidar 
sermons  ? 

Perhaps  all  who  read  this  article  know  of  minis- 
ters who  are  working  along  these  lines.  The  num- 
ber thus  working  is  sufficiently  large  to  show  that 
it  is  practicable  for  able  and  fearless  ministers  to 
undertake  the  preaching  of  these  first  principles 
of  applied  Christianity.  It  is  true  that  some  of  the 
larger  contributors  to  the  church  fund  may  be  dis- 
pleased. These  contributors  would  rather  see  the 
church  confine  itself  to  organized  charities,  —  a  de- 
vice that  relieves  only  a  small  part  of  the  misery  due 
to  wrong  political  and  economic  conditions,  and  re- 
lieves it  in  the  wrong  way.  A  fearless,  tactful,  well- 
informed  minister  can  successfully  preach  on  land 
and  other  speculation,  tenement  house  iniquities, 


230  A  BETTER  COUNTRY 

monopoly  prices  of  utilities,  and  other  social  wrongs. 
The  personnel  of  his  congregation  may  gradually 
change  ;  some  of  those  who  have  gained  an  unfair 
advantage  of  the  public  may  be  improved  by  the 
sermons ;  others  may  leave  the  church  for  a  time, 
and,  as  a  result,  the  minister  may  be  obliged  to  ac- 
cept a  lower  salary.  Possibly  as  soon  as  the  minis- 
ter must  live  on  a  smaller  salary,  those  will  leave 
who  can  judge  of  a  minister's  ability  only  by  the 
salary  he  receives.  But  would  not  all  the  best  mem- 
bers remain  ?  Would  not  new  and  thoughtful  listen- 
ers join  ?  Would  not  those  who  leave  enter  a  congen- 
ial church  ?  It  must  not  be  inferred  that  it  is  only 
the  rich  man  who  has  not  learned  the  true  way  of 
life,  and  who  needs  instruction.  Every  poor  man 
who,  for  instance,  wishes  that  some  so-called  good 
luck  would  put  him  in  possession  of  an  independent 
fortune  to  be  used  for  display,  luxury,  or  ease,  is, 
in  proportion  to  his  influence,  as  great  a  burden  to 
society,  and  needs  enlightenment  as  badly  as  the 
rich  man  who  has  similar  ambitions. 

Why  does  not  the  church,  as  a  whole,  patiently 
and  thoroughly  study  sociologic  conditions,  and 
then  considerately  and  fearlessly  attack  the  wrong 
it  sees  and  understands?  Is  what  should  be  the 
House  of  God  only  the  "  House  of  Fear  "  ?  If  so, 
what  does  it  fear?  Is  it  the  loss  of  the  rich  man's 


A  BETTER  COUNTRY  231 

patronage?  Perhaps  the  church  is  not  afraid.  Is  it 
hypnotized  by  the  rich?  Or  is  it  asleep  ? 

These  questions  can  be  better  answered  after  cer- 
tain present-day  efforts  have  passed  their  experi- 
mental stage.  In  the  meantime,  we  may  feel  en- 
couraged because  the  church  is  awakening  to  its 
duties  and  possibilities.  Let  us  watch.  If  the  church 
will  only  be  a  careful  student  of  conditions  prior  to 
taking  radical  steps,  we  may  expect  tremendous  re- 
sults. After  such  a  reformation  in  the  church,  those 
men  who  left,  but  who  on  second  thought  are  amen- 
able to  reason,  will  eventually  return  to  be  its  best 
workers. 

To  illustrate  the  need  of  church  work  in  civic 
morals,  almost  any  reader  can  recall  some  acquaint- 
ance who  answers  to  the  following  description.  A 
certain  man  in  an  enlightened  American  city  is  a 
prominent  citizen  and  a  leading  member  of  a  great 
church  that  has  a  brilliant  minister.  The  man  is 
prominent  in  public  and  private  business  life,  and 
also  in  social  life,  and  for  many  years  has  been  a 
member  of  this  church.  If  drawn  into  a  friendly 
yet  earnest  discussion  in  regard  to  the  possibility 
of  raising  the  standard  of  individual  morals  and 
true  fellowship  by  developing  a  high  sense  of  pub- 
lic duty,  this  man  would  smile  and  say  that  when 
his  pocketbook  was  aifected,  his  civic  pride  and 


232  A  BETTER  COUNTRY 

honor  had  to  step  aside.  He  would  further  say  that 
none  of  his  acquaintances  differed  from  him  in  this 
regard,  and  would  intimate  that  if  any  man  is  really 
different  at  this  stage  of  human  progress,  this  man 
must  be  one  lacking  in  judgment. 

Individual  goodness  to  family  or  to  friends, 
unless  it  has  underlying  it  real  concern  for  the  gen- 
eral good,  or  at  least  a  latent  capacity  for  this  con- 
cern, does  not  differ  from  that  goodness  which  ani- 
mals exercise  toward  their  families  and  associates. 
This  being  the  case,  the  extreme  moral  inexperience 
of  the  type  of  man  just  discussed  becomes  apparent 
as  a  matter  seemingly  beyond  the  hope  of  better- 
ment. Surely  such  men  were  born  with  as  strong  a 
tendency  toward  righteousness  as  were  most  men, 
and  they  are  considered  honorable.  Had  the  church 
known  how  to  teach  them  the  love  of  humanity, 
and  from  the  time  of  their  early  youth  dared  to 
teach  them  this  love,  they  would  have  been  genu- 
inely public-spirited  citizens  long  before  maturity, 
and  would  now  be  good  men  instead  of  only  good 
moral  animals,  as  animals  go.  You  may  say  that 
such  a  man  is  good,  —  that  he  would  die  for  his 
wife  and  children.  This,  you  may  say,  is  the  height 
of  unselfishness ;  but,  as  said  before,  this  unselfish- 
ness is  no  greater  than  that  manifested  by  the  lower 
animals :  a  cat  will  die  for  her  kittens  ;  a  dog,  in 


A  BETTER  COUNTRY  233 

order  to  protect  his  master,  will  take  chances  that 
often  result  in  death.  The  cat  and  dog  may  not 
know  that  they  put  themselves  in  danger,  never- 
theless, the  chances  they  take  are  such  as  they  re- 
frain from  taking  on  all  common  occasions.  Again 
you  may  say  that  in  the  case  of  the  animals  the  act 
of  self-sacrifice  is  an  act  of  instinct,  while  with  the 
man  it  is  an  act  of  free-will.  That  man  who  would 
readily  give  his  life  for  his  children,  yet  who  has 
no  care  for  the  public  good,  could  sacrifice  himself 
only  by  reason  of  instinct.  Only  the  human  ele- 
ment in  a  man  is  concerned  with  the  public  good. 
All  other  conscious  life  is  purely  animal,  and  ani- 
mal life,  whether  in  the  human  body  or  in  that  of 
the  lower  animals,  is  governed  by  what  is  called 
instinct. 

Reason  as  we  may,  that  which  distinguishes  hu- 
man life  and  happiness  from  the  life  and  happiness 
of  lower  animals,  is  a  concern  for  the  common  good. 
Those  in  whom  this  concern  does  not  exist  are  not 
yet  human.  In  order  to  make  a  better  country, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  line  of  work  along 
which  the  church  of  to-morrow  must  fearlessly 
direct  its  efforts. 


DISCUSSION  REFERRED  TO  IN  FOOT-NOTE, 
PAGE  6 

SELF-supporting  students  who  are  not  beyond  the  age 
limit  for  high-school  attendance  will  not  be  required  to 
pay  tuition,  so  they  can  easily  live  on  wages  of  five  and 
a  half  dollars  a  week.  Upon  first  thought,  a  wage  of  six 
dollars. a  week  for  only  part-time  work  may  seem  high 
for  young  men  of  sixteen  to  eighteen  years  who  have  had 
but  little  experience,  but  these  student  workers  are  nat- 
urally selected  from  among  those  who  passed  the  eighth, 
ninth,  or  tenth  grades  with  special  credit.  Each,  as  a 
result  of  his  own  wisdom,  is  willing  to  forego  the  plea- 
sures of  an  easier  life  in  order  to  make  a  long-continued 
efFort  for  the  future  economic,  social,  and  intellectual 
good  that  results  from  education.  As  a  rule,  young  men 
of  this  type  are  energetic,  truthful,  and  reliable ;  and, 
after  a  comparatively  short  experience,  they  can  safely 
be  given  fairly  responsible  positions.  Failures  among 
them  are  rare,  so  the  necessity  for  changing  help  is  in- 
frequent. Under  half-time  school  attendance,  the  self- 
supporting  students  can  do  from  five  to  six  hours  of  work 
each  school  day  and  a  few  additional  hours  on  Saturdays. 
They  find  delight  in  both  work  and  study  under  these  hope- 
ful conditions,  and  they  are  usually  strong  and  happy, 
and,  almost  without  exception,  stand  high  in  school. 
Employers  who  have  sufficient  faith  in  earnest  students 


DISCUSSION  OF  WAGES         235  | 

to  employ  them,  will  soon  feel  inclined  to  pay  them  such  j 

wages  as  they  are  worth  by  comparison  with  regular  era-  ) 

ployees,  although  these  wages  may  be  somewhat  more 
than  are  customarily  paid  workers  of  the  same  age.  It  \ 

should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  proposed  plan  provides  i 

that  the  student  workers  shall  be  first  tried  and  required 
to  gain  some  experience  before  they  are  permanently 
employed  and  allowed  these  wages.  Many  capable  young  i 

people  now  command  wages  of  twenty  cents  per  hour. 
When  one  considers  these  points,  the  wages  proposed  do 
not  seem  improbable  or  unreasonable.  Employers  find  ,' 

these  self-supporting  students,  even  at  the  wages  stated,  I 

to  be  as  profitable  as  any  help  they  have.  Even  in  parts 
of  the  country  where  the  proposed  wages  are,  for  the 
present,  beyond  the  earning  capacity  of  young  students,  j 

the  plan   suggested  would   still  answer  for  those  who  i 

obtain  some  assistance  from  home.  The  number  of  able 
young  people  of  the  ages  discussed  is  limited,  but  this 
ability  will  rapidly  become  more  general,  as  the  custom 
of  earning  one's  way  through  school  becomes  more  com- 
mon. 


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